A Monster From The Surface
by casualSnickers
Summary: So maybe you were too kind. The world pummeled you over and over again. When a chance for freedom arises you take it and it gets you pushed down a mountain. For what purpose, you were following your parents will. Then again, they weren't the brightest bunch to begin with... How will the monster kingdom react to a monster from the surface?
1. Escaping The Basement

' _Stay At Home', They Said_

Exactly, what they were looking for in life was always unsaid as they refused to say it, let alone write the damn sentence on a piece of paper. They weren't sure of their task either. What made them run up the side of a mountain, in the middle of the day, after ,what, blowing up two people? The human race could certainly spare to lose a few. That was where it all started, after all. Weird ass kid... So… here we go…

It was a particularly cold stormy night, kept in the stale moldy basement, the family of brown mice in the wall squalling over the unwelcomed venomous spiders that seemed to just force their way in earlier that month. It was the middle of winter after all. Hasty cracks ran up and down the sides of the cobblestone walls, dripping cold water and some brown goo in which the smell was indescribable. Various spots of mold dotted the walls and made the air stale and foul. The cold stone floor was even rougher and the piles of dust that whipped around your feet when you moved was no stranger to the mess. Old ratty bookcases littered the walls with some ancient defiled textbooks, here and there. A single cracked tinted window was high up on the wall, the rain outside lashing against it in a blind fury. Nobody could see through it. Tried and true, escaping would only get you another beating. You gave a deflated sigh, wrapping your tiny arms further around your lithe body, cherishing what little body heat you had. It was pitch black and the foreboding clunks of heels against hardwood made you wince. It was always dark down here. They only came in to feed you once a week, maybe two if the favor was successfully completed.

Cloudy amber eyes, slitted against the sudden bright light underneath the mahogany door, a dull light beginning to fan across the floor.

You gave a small hiss of discomfort, scooting further away into the darkness. They were coming. Standing up stock still, with paws that were always open against your thighs, you waited silently, ears flattened with baited breath. Only bad things would come if the masters were visiting at night. They never fed you twice unless it was mentioned during the first feeding. It wasn't. Either that, or it was another woodshop lesson.

"Burk, I don't necc- Look I'm not here to argue with you! Jer, open the door, hon….I won't have you leeching off my daughter when she's already at rock bottom!" With a click of the lock, the thick mahogany door swung open with a hearty creak. Strong light from the basement hallway filtered in to shine on your form, which was nestled in the far corner. You were trembling. Hard. Jeremy, the masculine master of the household, stood holding the door for the feminine master. There were two masters. Each had similar strengths. Jeremy, although tall and gangly, knew his way around every tool, and was no stranger to the harsh texture of sandpaper and the piercing edges of a blade. He eyed your small frame with hungry cerulean eyes, yourself purposefully avoiding his gaze. You had wanted to do nothing more than to cower. He preferred any kind of sexual favor from you, in which you absolutely refused to do. Always a threat, after the horrendous lessons. He treated the prospect like a privilege. You treated it like a death sentence. You may be a slave to the two humans, but you weren't about to do anything of the scandalous and shameful kind.

The mistress on the other hand was to be feared. Her dark gray eyes were always two-faced: bright and happy to her son who didn't know about the monster child kept in the basement, and cold and uncaring to the monster who deserved none of it. The stony silence set in. Jeremy bowed gracefully at the door, closing and locking you and the mistress inside. Nothing stays really. The mistress had set her posh white handbag down upon a bookshelf, turning to face you with her scorching gaze. She slowly approached.

"You've still yet to answer me back for my husband's favor, you ungrateful whelp!" As you thought: there'd be no second scraps today.

The family who'd kidnapped you eight years ago, valued a monster like your kind. Your set of SOULs were significantly stronger than those who'd been sealed under the mountain ages ago. It was the one reason why your parents lived for so long. They'd been forced to murder countless humans who dared to harm their way of living, their home, or their souls. They waited until the humans forgot about them, which took hundreds of years, never passed down in families from childish fear and doubt. It was then, when the coast was clear, that they had you.

Their only child, which they wanted to have so badly, and after years of waiting, you'd arrived in a messy bundle. You could still remember your parents. Even at the young age of six, you were beyond intelligent, your father being a former royal scientist of SOULs and such, and your mother being the former head of the royal guard. Your father taught you how to read and how to do complex mathematical expressions, never settling for the lesser and encouraging you to do your best in everything. Your mother, taught you how to cook and hunt, showing you how to survive amongst the harsh world of the living. The two had even showed you their own magic when you'd shed your kitten fuzz..

Dad had electricity magic, channeling strong electricity between his two pitch black paws, the intense, crackling magic always making you singed yourself every once in awhile. Your mother, on the other hand, knew a special brand of fire magic. Not just bland fireballs, but huge powerful beasts shaped from the sizzling embers of the hottest fires. Her entire aura was intense and training sessions with her always left you gasping for breath. You loved the two of them to death and back, your family being a unique branch of boss monsters after all. And cats at that. Yep, the whole nine lives shebang.

After the incident, every time you glanced at the sweater, her sweater, you wept a little inside. The ratty maroon and gold knitted sweater was the only thing left of your parents, the rest charred in the fire. It was way too big for you and drooped beyond your knees, but hey, you felt safer in big things. A vast expanse to hide away from reality. You wished for your parents to come back and save you. They couldn't anyway. The fire had burned them to mere ashes and those to be swept away in the wind. To you, they were never coming back. You waited through rain, wind, heat, and the bowels of nature. But nobody came.

You never noticed that the humans who committed the murder ( yes it was murder, as mom could absorb any fire but human-made fire, and we didn't cook with that kind) watched you daily. Until one day that is, after staying awake for more than seventy hours, you fell asleep near the scorched remains of your house. You never noticed when foreign calloused hands tranquilized you, picked you up, and carried you away to the hell hole that is this basement.

After the beatings and the abuse with the woodshop tools, you'd learned it's best to be docile and unwavering. Not that you had Stockholm's or anything. These people who kept you here against their will had almost killed you once or twice. Why did they keep you here? Merely because they were bad people. What they didn't take out on their young son, they took out on you, the monster. You loathed them and had tried to escape this basement multiple times. The broken ribs you'd received answered your frequent pleas for freedom. But nonetheless, the whip wasn't going to wait…

You lay quiet in the far corner, absentmindedly staring up at the ceiling. Three of the brown mice had decided to use you as their nest. Sadly, their bad decision had led to their gory demise. You slowly chewed the remains of the second mouse in your jaws, savoring the musky taste on your tongue. It was a rare treat if the mice dared to venture beyond the walls. With a moan of appreciativeness, you swallowed and ran your clawed paw slowly over the last carcass, its unmoving skin beckoning to be broken. With a tentative tug, you hoisted the small mouse in front of your muzzle, biting down onto its neck. Cold blood rushed forward, a metallic scent reaching your nose. You began to chew up the last mouse, savoring the crunch of tooth-on-bone as you devoured it. After licking your lips promptly, you fell back onto the cold cobblestone floor. A huge cloud of dust swirled in your wake, the bits of dead cells illuminated in the weak ray of sunlight that shone through. A sudden knock had issued at the door.

"Lion? Are you in there? It's me! Sue!" You gave a small mewl of hope and got to your paws. You quickly stretched out your back, the bones of your spine popping back into place. You slowly padded over towards the mahogany door, grabbing a burnt textbook, a few spare pieces of parchment, and some quills.

"I'm here. What's up?" You'd made yourself comfortable by the crack of the door, setting the corner of the textbook on fire. Bright orange light lit up the small room, the smell of burning paper wafting throughout the basement. You could hear rapid scrambling from the other side of the door.

"Mistress said that I'm going to school today, but it's supposed to be picture day today!"

"Picture day? What's that?"

"It's when you have to take a picture so that the school knows what you look like and stuff."

"Okay… but what's a school? You forget that I have no clue about what all this human stuff is."

"Well… a school is where many kids like me go to learn really boring stuff. Like math. Math is boring. Science is too." You raised your eyebrows in surprise, moving to lay on your tummy.

"Science is far from boring! Do you ever stop to wonder how microscopic we are to the multiverse? If not, then you're sadly mistaken. Science is awesome, and if you don't think that it's awesome, then I don't know you." You said, in a slightly affronted tone.

"No! No! Science is cool, but it's really hard to learn!"

"Well, how about this? If you start using your head instead of using those wimpy human explanations, then you'll start to understand more. I can help you if you want. It's really not that hard to understand."

"Really? You'll help me with my homework?" You scoffed and turned up your nose.

"Homework? Again? What's the point of humans assigning other humans homework, when they don't even understand the concept?" You'd accepted the small piece of paper that'd been slid underneath the door. You loudly read off the questions, using the inked quills to correct Sue's answers. If not for your help, he would've failed spectacularly.

"Wow! Thank you!" You slipped the cheated homework underneath the door, setting down your inked quill. You heard more rustling from the other side of the door.

"It's not the hard if you learn how to do it. Trust me. My father taught me all of this stuff when I was a kit. I practically tore my hair out. If you ever need help with your homework, either ask me or just slip the work underneath the door. Okay?"

"But that's cheating…"

"But doesn't your "school" support that kind of thing?"

"I don't know. Thank you, anyway. Oh. Master's coming! I better leave before he catches on... Bye Lion! I'll be back in the afternoon! Gotta go to school!" You heard an assortment of heavy rustling before light footfalls ceased sounding.

… What was it that they always said? "Stay in the basement and make no noise, whatsoever?" It was an average day indeed for you. The family had once again warned you of trying to escape and had promptly locked up the basement before taking their son to boarding school. What they failed to remember was that the new maid they'd hired that had no idea that you were down there. So guess what happened when the careless maid decided to snoop into the basement…?

Claire was the new maid of the house, her kind and caring shtick landing her a concrete job in the massive household. What killed her the most about her job was the numerous tight and dark spaces that the family greatly inconvenienced her with. Going into dark broom closets gave her the chills. Not to mention that the so warned basement made her shit her pants on a daily basis. Basements were a no go for her. Who knows what could be down there?

Claire was snarky and most of the maids saw through her act, avoiding her and her scolding tongue. She spit at the homeless, stole from the rich, and let's not forget that time that she once stole a whole shopping cart full of expensive chocolate. Claire was a bad person at heart and she enjoyed every bit of it. But where did that get her? Oh yeah, that's right. Here.

After touring the massive marble mansion yet again, inspecting every nook and cranny, she scowled and whipped her head around to glare at the banister. Her outfit was much too tight and made bending or stretching in any manner, uncomfortable. Her long black hair was pulled into a tight bun, a few strands hanging. Her spectacled glasses shone from the intense light of the foyer, brilliant green eyes gleaming.

"You peasants clean the basement?" She growled. Small giggles ushered from the top of the stairs, now from the three maids at the overlook. The two of them gazed down at her brute frame mockingly.

"Uh, no. We were hoping that _you_ could take care of that for us, Claire." Louise. The blue-haired bimbo stood mockingly at the top, that bitchy smirk on her face, as always. That and the fact that Claire could see her lacy red panties. Disgusting. She always wore her outfit too short, giving more panty shots than needed. She liked to kiss up to male master. Pathetic weakling.

"Yeah! You always get done so fast! We're still up here laundering the blankets and stuff. Say...If you take care of the basement, we'll be home free!" Then there was Der, the only male maid in the house. He was a pervert, always checking out the mistress, and between breaks, commented on how sexy the mistress was. Crude humor always followed. He had short spiky purple hair and dark hazel eyes.

Claire flinched. From the corner of her eyes, she spotted the trio smirking at her. Why those little- patience Claire, patience. Forcing a crooked smile, Claire gave a slow nod and slowly turned her head towards the dimly lit hallway. The only one that was yet to be traversed.

"If you're too scared, I'll do it for you. Just let me fold these towels." Louise mockingly called from the banister.

"No! I've got it!"

"Well damn, okay." Fern, the last maid, was an okay one at that. She was small and quiet, being completely docile in every way. She was the oldest of the maids and had been with the family for years beyond count. Her short gray hair had curled upwards just below her ears and bobbed when she walked.

"Sorry, I-I'll just take care of it. On my own."

"Well alright then, suit yourself." And with that, the old lady was gone, sauntering down the hallway with a fresh stack of bath towels in tow. Claire breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn't have those maids look upon her like some lowly peasant. Gathering herself, Claire stole another glance at the dimly lit hallway before striding off towards the broom closet. Candles were one thing but flashlights were her ultimate savior. Better take some batteries, just to be sure.

It wasn't that Claire was scared of the dark, but she was afraid of what was in it. As a kid, her older brother, whose name escapes her at the moment, always read her horror stories before bed, and forced her to watch bowel evacuating movies of demons and paranormal happenings. Now, she can't look out the window at night without fearing jumpscares and serial killers looking back at her. What a curse.

Heels clicking on the hardwood floor, Claire slowly made her way down the hall, her heart beating out of her chest. As she got closer, sweat began to drip down her face, silent tears of fear pooling at the corner of her eyes. She began to tremble when she spotted the door. An old mahogany door stood at the end, frayed with paint chipping in various places. The crack under the door had been sealed with rubber, for what purpose, she hadn't a clue. It was now or never…

Clicking on the flashlight, Claire took the gold keys out of her pocket. Stalling on which was which, she finally came to the correct key. Inserting the key into the lock, she turned the key, ever so slowly, until the door was unlocked. Upon taking out the keys, she fumbled, dropping them on the ground. Stooping to pick them up, she stared into the darkness, whimpering silently to herself.

"Hmm, probably some satanic shit going on in here or something. Whatever the hell it is, I'm getting the hell out of here as soon as possible."

The clicking of heels and the jangling of keys woke you from your crude daydreams. You stumbled to your paws, craning your head this way and that way to search for the disruption. What? It's not like you were a kid anymore. You were fourteen for crying out loud. And it's not like your masters weren't quiet during their sexual cannodles. Amber eyes searching in the dark, you recognized a scent that didn't quite match up with the masters'. With a click of the lock, the door swung open, faint light filtering into the darkness. Clank. The maid had dropped her keys. Heh.

"Now what's down here?" The maid, still not recognizing you in the dark, stepped straight into the room, missing the light switch next to the door. She was clearly horrified, her knees threatening to give out at any moment. You stood quietly in the corner, eyeing her bulky frame with distaste. You knew of another maid with gray hair. That one knew of your presence and did not talk to you, but you could clearly see the pity in her eyes. How you hated it.

On one hand, you could be mistaken and this could be a test by the masters. If you tried to escape, they'd be at the doorway and you'd surely be denied food for a week or so. Perhaps a new woodshop lesson, too. You shivered. Definitely not another one of those. On the other hand, this one was foreign and probably didn't know you existed. You could easily overtake her with speed, but the other maids could be out there too. But they were weak, just like the others.

The maid who'd now taken out a flashlight and began waving it around, had yet to notice you. You'd made your decision. It was now or never. Moving with utmost silence, you'd tiptoed up to the maid, hiding behind her back in waiting. When she was the furthest away from the door, you gave her a hearty shove, sending her tumbling into the bookcases. At once, heavy footfalls sounded from could be your only chance at freedom. You, not giving any shits, turned around and took off out the door.

"What the hell?" Freedom. Fucking freedom. Pictures of people you couldn't care less about whipped by, the plush carpet pointing your way to freedom. The maids from above were now hollering loudly, trying to throw anything their hands could latch on, at you. You dodged the vases and towels, eyes slightly hazy from the sudden movement and bright lights. The front door sat straight ahead, filtering natural light in. It was morning. Nothing could possibly go wrong with this escape. But you were wrong.

You threw open the door, the warm drafts of summer somewhat there as you took off. The driveway flew by, your brown paws slamming against the hard cold concrete. Your long brown hair, that was severely unkempt, shone in the sunlight. You'd stopped to gaze at it. For eight years, you'd waited to see the sunrise again. Eight damn years. Remembering your situation, you barreled down the street, dashing out in front of a car and passing confused onlookers. The intimidating silhouette of Mt. Ebott wasn't very far. Home was almost within reach. Even as a loud explosion went off behind you and sirens began to blare, you kept running, adrenaline coursing through your veins. Finally. Freedom at last...

The house had went up in flames, from what, you hadn't the faintest idea when you were young. As you wisened, you realized the events of the tragedy. As for the other thing that exploded, was the masters' car in which you dashed in front of in your mad pursuit of freedom and glory. The look on their faces as they watched you book it down the street only for them to collide with another car, which had such a high momentum going that the two cars just exploded, and you gave no fucks.

The sound of Ebott City, busy with traffic and the distinct call of mockingbirds made your mad dash home even more renewing. The lush pine trees of summer that dotted the sidewalk were slowly wilting and falling to their death. Autumn was coming. Taking the time to remember, you slowed, drawing out your souls. Your parents taught you how to do it years ago, the first time comparable to being submerged in icy water. You'd gotten the hang of it soon enough. Strangely enough, you'd been born with a mutation of the soul so you had two. One was a monster soul, being born a monster and all. The other was a human soul, coming from being born on the human surface devoid of a monster presence. Simply put, you were born normal but because your parents were boss monsters who'd killed many humans, during your development you'd absorbed the aura of the human souls, giving you another soul to deal with.

Technically, you could survive with one missing. If your monster soul was taken, you'd be stuck as a human with no magic. If your human soul was taken, you'd be stuck as a monster with your physicality all but lost, magic being the only thing keeping you together. However, you preferred to keep both. It made you more powerful than most, being able to draw power from the human soul to power the monster soul. You held your own souls within your paws, gently cradling them.

The human soul was not actually solid, being dense tendrils of golden flames contained by a glassy casing. It gave off a warm glow and made you feel distinctly different. The monster soul was a dark gray which came with the sin of killing humans. Your parents had forgotten that it passes down in offspring. Every now and then, you had night terrors, reliving the many murders that your parents had committed before you were born.

The masters who were most definitely dead, hadn't sent out any 'lookers' which meant that you could do anything you wanted. So naturally, you returned home, albeit, having to become a temporary ninja and jumping from roof to roof.

The woods, which were dark and dreary went perfectly with the legends of Mt. Ebott. After all, those who wanted to climb the great peak had to successfully get past the maze that is your home. Of course, you grew up here as a kid, so you were a master at mapping out the place. The claw marks on the trees were old and the tree was starting to grow new layers. Growling, you unsheathed your claws and dragged them roughly through the tree. It felt heavenly. After years of being dulled, you could finally sharpen your body. And your stomach, because you hadn't eaten in days. Except for those mice.

You were slowly strolling through the dark forest, your natural monster body out in the open. The dark pines glistened with morning dew that failed to drop or evaporate. The undergrowth was back at it, bushes growing wildly with unharvested berries ripe for the picking. The fronds never swayed as the wind never reached below the canopies. It was quiet. It hadn't been quiet, in your sense, for years. There it was. The burning scent of wood. Your home. Your old home, the burned remains standing there, a sad reminder of what your life used to be. Old wooden beams stood lonely against the dim sunlight, vines of snapdragons reaching the forest floor. You looked up. Dark gray clouds were sweeping across the sky, drowning the sun amongst their depths. You smiled. The heavy smell of rain promised a good thunderstorm and heavy showers all day long. How you yearned for the rain, had been another reason to escape.

Rocks had littered the ground around your former home. The old swing from the birch tree had broken down, and hung pitifully still. Large tendrils of ivy and moss crept up the sides.

What you cherished most were the lilies that your mother used to make you tend to. You loathed plants, how if you didn't tend to them, they'd attract gnats. Those flying fuckers annoyed the shit out of you, and if you left any food out for one second, you'd come back and there'd be a dead fly in it. Gross. Not to mention, your parents laughed at you when you attempted to swat them down. Hey, you killed some of them, right? Ugh. Regardless, you had a black thumb and killed every plant life you touched. Did you care? Nope. Too busy kicking over dumb perennials and buttercups as a kid. Now, the lasting tulips of your late mother's care, stood falteringly, slightly wilted, but beautiful nonetheless. You weren't gonna cry. You stopped crying when you realized that life is a beautiful lie and death is an awful truth.

You couldn't wait to dance with death. They had your parents in their sweet embrace. You weren't suicidal but considered it with great depth. No more of that. What were you gonna do now? With given sense, you could build another house out in the woods, but the thought of living in the dark scared you. What could be lurking in the wilderness? Your parents had always been there to protect you, but now, they were gone. They'd always said that if they perished, to go to the mountain. For what, they never told you and you'd rather not end up imprisoned again. Selfish, yes, but surely you could be free for just a little longer? Sure you could kidnap a human and take their soul to the king, but you could never bring yourself to physically nor magically take the life of another. You weren't about to sacrifice your human soul either. Not to somebody you didn't know, king or not.

But, it wouldn't hurt to inspect the mountain, right? After all, you had to go beyond the barrier to become trapped. You couldn't become trapped with your two souls and all. How does one not notice falling into a mountain? Never mind. Heavy rain had begun to fall, the cold water refreshing. You stood quietly, grinning wildly and ran your paws through your hair. It was already soaked. You were quickly getting drenched. You decided to stay a little longer. It surely didn't pour under the mountain. You had rested upon one of the fallen beams, zoning off to the sound of a distant clap of thunder. Those poor monsters, trapped underground. You wondered if they were still alive. It HAD been hundreds of years ago and only boss monsters survive for a long amount of time. Your parents hadn't mentioned any boss monsters, except for the king and queen. Did they have food there?

It got darker, rain coming down harder now, bits of hail pelting you from above. You didn't care. Should you visit the mountain or not? It didn't matter really. The only danger being a monster taking away your human soul and trapping you there. Your parents had told you of how the barrier could be taken down. Seven human souls. You wondered as to whether the monsters thought that the surface was a land of glory. You sighed. How wrong they would be…

You'd made your decision. Getting to your paws, you started off towards the north, leaving the remains of home behind. They wanted you to do this. You'd be safe there and they'd protect you. A place where you wouldn't be threatened by the mere existence of humans. Perhaps you'd just be another burden to the monsters. You were scared. How was this supposed to go? The dark woods seemed to fly by faster as you were now at the edge of the woods. A dusty trail was barely there, marked by stray pebbles and debris. You followed, seeing as how your parents never took you up here and this could be a trail to the barrier.

You'd been wandering for hours.

The terrain was so slippery that you had to crawl up the mountain on four paws. Claws desperately digging into the soaked soil, you hoisted yourself off of the rock wall. The hard floor of the cave greeted you, the black depths a sure sign of something odd. You were soaked down to the skin. Getting up, you took off your sweater and wrung out all of the rainwater. You did the same for your shorts. It was time to take a break. You took your sweater between your paws and concentrated. Wisps of fire sparked out from your paws, a warm orangeish magic flowing into the beaten sweater. It suddenly puffed out, all traces of water gone, the sweater warm and begging to be put back on. You did the same for your shorts, warming them up to be worn. You never got sick, rarely so, but that didn't stop you from taking precautions.

You'd then stuck your paws on your head, heating up the remains of the water and fluffing out your hair. Ah. Your namesake. Well, not really. Your parents had given you a name but your hair was always so infamously unkempt and poofy that they referred to you as Lion. You liked the name. It went well with your horoscope and that it was your favorite animal. It also went well with your power, too. You looked over into the darkness. Your amber eyes slitted against the dark background. The cave went far back. Getting to your paws, you padded further into the abyss, the outlines of many vines creeping into your vision.

There it was. A deep hole in the middle of the mountain. The top was covered with hanging vines of ivy and basil. A vast light filtered in from a hole at the top of the mountain. So there was little sunlight down there, huh. Good thing you knew two magic brands that gave off light. You peered over the top, anchoring your claws into the deep soil so you wouldn't accidentally fall. There was no bottom. At least, there hadn't appeared to be one. You stood up, weighing your chances of jumping into the hole. There was nothing down there. You lowered your head, your long ears pricked towards the hole. Listening... Not a sound. This was what your parents wanted, right? But you didn't jump. As you got to your feet, a hard impact to your back sent you flying over the ground, and into the hole, the force knocking the breath out of you. And as you fell deeper, you fell unconscious, unknowingly falling through the barrier and into the depths below...


	2. Running From The Cannibals

Your Needy Convenience

It hurt badly. You'd landed on the ground... Somewhere… You couldn't move nor think, a splitting headache filling your head with immense pain. But you were alive,and just barely conscious. You tried to open your eyes, failing. They felt glued shut, and to make matters worse, you were face down in something that smelled faintly sweet. That couldn't be good. You hoped that you weren't allergic to the stuff. You attempted to lift your right arm. Immediately, hot pain shot up your limb making you gasp and stop altogether. Something could be out there in the darkness, watching you. It was pointless as you were helpless, and for sake's, you couldn't even move. Well, just barely. You could move your tail some, the only thing that didn't hurt to move. It flickered pausing at your lower back before draping across your hips. It was barely there at first: something soft but yet dried, as if there was a drought or something. You inched it further, only to find more of these dry things surrounding you. Just what the heck did you land in? You pricked your ears, listening for any signs of life.

And then you heard it: The loudest rumble you'd ever heard sounded off somewhere near your right arm. And then a loud 'pop' confirmed your suspicions: you were doomed. You faked sleep, this being a natural reflex when it came to dangerous situations. It worked at the basement, and it could sure as hell work here, if you played your cards right. You automatically slowed your breathing, your chest rising and falling ever so slowly. Whatever it was was staring at you, its gaze burning holes into your right cheek. It came tentatively closer, hesitantly, as if scared you'd lashed out at any moment. You'd wanted to cuff the creature, but again, you couldn't move without experiencing severe pain. Thorny vines started to snake their way around your legs, not covering everything, but painful thorns pricking your legs nonetheless. You'd suddenly reacted to the thorns, thrashing wildly about, but only to make it look as if you felt it in your pseudo sleep. The vines continued to creep along slowly, stopping short near your neck. Some thorns pricked your fur, testing if you were truly asleep. It worked. They bought it. The vines slowly retracted themselves from your body, the pain still there but less painful than the ones from before.

With that, the strange creature disappeared with a pop, back into the earth and out of sight. You tried to move your arm again. You could move your right arm, the immense pain still there, but more bearable. You tried with your other arm. The same as the other. Using your right arm, you slowly rubbed at your eyes, the crust falling away to release your eyelids from their crusty prison.

With an annoyed hiss, you hastily closed them again, the intense concentration of light scorching your corneas. Trying again, you slowly squinted into the vast darkness, slowly opening them to their normal angle. It was dark: So dark that not even your nocturnal eyes could pierce the darkness. Getting to your paws, you looked down around you. Numerous golden flowers littered the grassy floor, pressed under your paws. They probably cushioned your fall. Lucky you. Peering upwards, you spotted the tiny hole at the top of the rocky cavern. Strong golden light filtered down, illuminating the hole with an intense light. Strange. The hole at the top seemed to be a lot bigger when you'd gazed into it.

You'd shivered. You hadn't a clue where you were, nor what would happen next. You knew that there could be monsters down here, but were they still reasonable? You guessed that you'd eventually find out. You'd successfully managed to limp onwards, the pain from falling lessening to a quiet throb. You took a step out of the soft, golden flowers, brushing the excess petals off of your ratty sweater. You needed to get out of here. To somewhere much safer than this place. Whatever it was earlier took mercy on you, but you had a feeling that it would come back. You had to chance it. You began to walk blindly into the darkness, the faint outline of the rock walls coming into view. Placing your paws upon them, you let the cold walls guide you towards a much bigger cavern. It seems that you were barely touching the iceberg in that small cave back behind you. It was mostly rocky, a hole from somewhere above, lighting the way. The walls on the outskirts were pitch black. In the middle, directly underneath the light, sat a patch of dark green grass, fresh dew gathering on the edges. Welp.

Snap! You jumped back, your fur bristled and puffed out. Pricking your ears towards the sound, you identified multiple footsteps, all rapidly heading your way. You quickly limped towards the dark outskirts of the cavern, immersing yourself in the total darkness. The golden flowers from earlier would hide your scent and would keep you from being found for now. You curled in on yourself, taking up less space, and making yourself a miniscule target. If the tension got too thick, you could always abscond. Just then, a massive group of monsters came sprinting past and hurried into the first cavern, barely noticing your small form in the far corner. A tall, white form was at the head, a purple tunic of sorts billowing out behind them. Two cyan and maroon blurs followed close behind a blue blur who was sprinting past the others. A small orange blur barely kept up along with what looked to be a small beige blur carrying a yellow blur? Your vision sucked. And this was getting weird, quickly.

As soon as they'd gotten out of earshot, you hurled yourself towards the far exit, in the opposite direction of where the mob was headed. It'd gotten much darker, your short form quietly skimming over the cold floor in relative silence. More light gradually came into view, along with a elegant room of sorts. The walls, a rich purple, bordered everything in sight. You kept up your pace, throwing yourself up the marble stairs, only stopping to gaze at the bed of red petals that lay at the foot of the stairs. An ominous petrified tree stood grimly over the dying petals, a small question beginning to form. How the hell did plants even grow down here?

A small metal sign hung above the doorway, what it said, you'd never know as you continued your mad dash. You continued onwards, gradually coming to a room with six small foot panels and a locked door. You started to panic. A puzzle? Now of all times?

There was another metal sign hanging next to the door, this one in which you stopped your wild thoughts to read it over. There was a small hint to the puzzle, something inscribed about 'avoiding the middle path'. Only four panels stood out from the middle, and they looked to be quite deceiving. You quickly pressed your paw down onto to them, a small click issuing from each one. With all errands done, you started to pull the lever next to the door downwards. Welp. After you'd 'solved' the puzzle, the door gave a thunderous rumble and quickly opened, no doubt alarming the massive monster group from earlier. This was not good. Not good at all. They had heard you now.

You quickly moved into the next room, almost slipping on your paws as you went. Turning quickly on your heels, you snagged the lever from the other room and yanked it downwards, causing the door to close behind you. The next room had a similar layout, mini levers dotting the walls, some with faded yellow arrows pointing at them suggestively. Small bodies of cyan water separated the groups, their surfaces still and unwavering. It's not like you can doubt the levers now, seeing as how you didn't know the consequences. Either get out of this place or get mauled by an unruly monster mob? What a confusing question.

Taking your chances, you pulled the labeled levers quickly, scowling when the door gave another obnoxious rumble and opened. You hurled yourself through it, not bothering to close it, as it'd take too much time.

You'd stumbled upon the next room, a wide circular opening with a beat-up dummy standing in the corner. It had scratches and rips, bits of fuzz spilling out from its seams. Poor dummy. You hurried past it and into the next room, throwing a questioning look at the dummy over your shoulder. You were sure that it'd just winked at you.

The next room was strangely normal, a narrow hallway leading towards… a bridge with iron spikes over a god knows how deep pool. Okay then. You hesitantly threw yourself into the deep water, shivering with the cold at you made contact with its surface. Arriving at the other side, you heaved yourself over the rocky edge, and hauled yourself to your feet. You had no time for drying out your clothes. It would have to wait. The next room was a synch, a long hallway that led further into this weird place. You easily sprinted through it, stopping at a small room with two dark exitways: one to your left, and another your north. A small monster sat silently in the corner. You eyed it with fierce hostility, unsheathing your claws. However, the monster didn't notice you, as its loud snores had made it clear that it was sleeping. You decided to go through the left exit, coming face to face with a large bowl of colorful candies. Their shiny wrappers gleamed in the soft light, beckoning to those who were stupid enough to eat them. Turning yourself around, you went through the east exit instead, keeping an eye on the blurry monster as you went. Nice try, Satan.

"You're gonna have to try a lot harder than that to kill me."

The next room held one lone rock, one desolate foot panel and a small bridge of decided to bail,hoping over the small bridge of spikes. You didn't have the time for those kinds of puzzles due to your current predicament. You came to a humongous room with a dirty bricked floor. Various piles of red petals dotted the floor, making the whole room very eerie. You hooked onto the walls with your claws, hoisting yourself across the room and dismounting safely onto the far stoned platform.

You soon came to another room, three rocks sitting in the middle of the floor. Just like the previous room with the rocks, you opted for cheating your way around it. With a heavy sigh, you flung yourself into the icy water, treading water over to the other bank and moving onwards. This was a huge waste of time. Yet again, another room stood in your way towards freedom. A mahogany table was set against the east wall, the cheese on it being firmly plastered to the splintered surface, bits melted into the dusty wood. A tiny mouse squeaked at you from a hole in the west wall. You firmly ignored it, as you had no appetite at the moment.

It was strangely quiet. You didn't see anyone else here, and the silence was unnerving. You soon came to another multi hallway, one to your north, another to your west.

"Oh. Sorry. I didn't mean to bump into you. I'll just get out of your way." You'd accidentally bumped into a large ghost, its pale body shimmering amongst the depths.

"Oh? It's me that should be apologizing! I was the one who bumped into you after all. Sorry about that by the way." The ghost had appeared to be less saddened, a smile of sorts on their face.

"Are you sure? I mean-"

"No worries there! It's entirely my fault. Though I've probably taken up way too much of your time, to be honest."

"Oh. I'm… Napstablook… by the way." You gave a small grin at the large ghost.

"Well my name's Lion. Or at least, it's what I like to go by. Anyway, I have to skedaddle. Sorry to bump into you but I must go! Bye Napstablook! See ya later!" You bowed before sprinting into the next room, skidding on more of those red petals. You hastily skipped the north exit, it only being a dead end to block you. The hallway in the next room had a puzzle similar to the previous one with the obvious pillar. More sleeping monsters dotted the walls, a small buzzing filling your ears. You ignored it and moved onto the next room. The next room was yet another puzzle, various scratched bricks sticking out like a sore thumb. You skipped this room too, jumping over the spiked bridge. In the next room, a small metal sign hung from the wall, giving a clue as a means to find a certain colored lever. If you picked the wrong lever, you would merely fall into a dead ended room and start all over again. The next three rooms succeeding it were the same, the positions of the levers switched around and the colors swapped as well.

"Wait- Up ahead! They're up ahead! Quickly!" A husky voice called from far behind, somewhere from another room. It was catching up rapidly. You began to panic again, your fur bristling in fear. You didn't expect them to catch up so quickly, let alone how many damn puzzles there were that you'd ran into. You booked it into the room ahead, the hall having to ways to move: west towards a dark forlorn house, which was a big bag of nope, and an exit to the north. You scrambled towards the north exit, barely dodging a hot object that went whizzing past your head. The next room was a dead end, a present sitting on the floor to your left. It was very dark in here, the only light fanning from the hallway. You scrambled off towards the ledge of the cliff and swung your body onto the rock wall, digging your claws in, a small jut of stone keeping you from your hunter's vision. Loud footsteps had rapidly ushered into the room, an assortment of heavy breathing following.

"I swore I saw something back there!" It was that husky voice again. You listened closely, blatantly aware of the fact that you were suspended over a dark chasm.

"Are you sure Undyne? There's nothing here. If somebody had ran through the Ruins, then they'd be here, right in front of us." A soft voice had piped up.

"Oh? So who else had undid the puzzles?! There's no water creatures in the Ruins, so explain the water puddles dotting the floors! I know that you saw them Toriel! Can YOU explain it?!"

"Maybe it was just a-"

"No Toriel. Someone was here, and I saw them escaping! They went this way! I know what I saw! We need to check the house!"

"UNDYNE! PLEASE CALM DOWN! WE'RE ALL ANXIOUS TO FIND THIS SAID TRESPASSER, BUT I THINK YOU'RE GOING ABOUT IT IN THE WRONG WAY!" A nasally screech had split the air, causing you to flatten your ears in surprise.

"Yes. A human cannot simply disappear into thin air. It was probably a monster on their way home. Oh? What is it, my child?" There was a long pause, and then a sharp intake of breath.

"See! Even Frisk knows that somebody had been down here! And that it's not a normal monster! Come on!"

"Yeah. I'm sure the kid is right. I mean, I WAS the one to arrive there first. It was clearly a human. It just had a lot of hair." This voice was high and unnaturally pitched, its volume making your ears hurt.

"then how come there's no human here, weed?" A baritone voice had sounded off very close to you. You shrinked against the rocky wall, your heart tearing across your chest.

"Oh shut it, smiley trashbag! You don't know anything! There's a human in the catacombs, and they're getting away!"

"Now now. Please calm down everyone." It'd become immediately silent. The voice that had spoke now held an tone of authority to it. The voice was smooth and soothing. It almost made you come out from hiding. You had a spare thought and looked downwards. It was just an infinitely deep chasm and you were sure that there was nothing awaiting you at the bottom.

"Now I'm sure that it was just a stray Froggit or Whimsun. Nothing to be afraid of." The voice continued, the others giving defeated sighs.

"Whatever you say, Toriel. I'm going to keep searching. We're pretty much out of hope now. We could do with a SOUL or two." This one held a deep husky tone, grumbling angrily at the previous speaker. There was the sound of multiple feet shuffling away. You wanted to move back onto the safe ledge, but you had stopped. There was a straggler who was still in here. You silenced yourself, pressing yourself harshly into the wall. The sharp rocks cut into your legs. Seconds passed and a small stray pebble raced by your head. More time, and small footfalls sounded away from the cliff and into the other room. You let out a hoarse breath that you didn't even know you were holding. Flipping yourself around, you slowly clawed your way up the rocky cliff, claws latching into the dents on the wall. You graciously peered over the landing, the clearing desolate and quiet. Hauling yourself over the wall, you got to your feet and tucked yourself away in the far corner.

You had almost lost your shit when one of the speakers mentioned the excess water from your swims. You slapped yourself on the forehead. You quietly settled into the dark shadows and dried out your soaked outerwear, wiping every trace of water from your body. You were trapped. And so desperately lost. For now at least. They probably went towards the north exit, that dark house. They most likely lived there. Or at least, one of them did. Time for a nice long thought.

You could leave the way you came and never have to look back at this place ever again, or grow a pair and break into the house. More than likely, one of them would be on the lookout. But your parents had wanted you to come down here. What if you just had to pass this obstacle and then you'd be free? A likely price to pay.

Luckily, the longer you waited, the darker it became, perfect for hiding and venturing in the shadows. You'd finally came up with a plan: you'd break into the house and stick to the shadows inside. Once you found the exit you'd leave immediately. No dilly dallying.

Remembering the monster's script from earlier, you'd felt the presence of about six people. Or was it seven? You'd have to map out those people and avoid each of them. They could be potentially dangerous, even if they could speak your tongue. If you failed, you'd most likely perish within these walls.. Well. It was now or never. Getting to your paws, you stopped at the dark doorway, angling your ears towards the far hallway. Faint squeaks came from the east exit. Far enough for you to get a stance. Perfect. You slipped into the dark hallway again, angling your ears towards the house as you went. Seven voices filled the gap, along with six lingering scents to register into your roster. Each scent seemed to lead into the house, not leaving, but pooling within its walls. You, still hiding in the darkness like a weirdo, attached yourself to the walls with your claws, using your appendages to haul yourself onto the ceiling. You slowly and delicately crawled along the top of the walls, the light within the house fanning faintly onto the ground. You stopped near the roof of the small house. The faint thought of being the perfect stalker humorously came into your head, but you banished it hastily, holding your full attention towards the occupants inside the house. They all seemed to be in one room, conveniently far from the entrance, and loud chatting covering up your movements.

You set to work, using your fire magic to easily melt the brass hinges on the door. In doing so, you moved the wooden door to the side, laying it against the west wall and moving inside with utmost stealth and silence. Loud clamors issued from the west room, not straying into the parlour. You held your ear to the west wall just to make sure. They moved further into the house, into another room off of the room to the left. A cold breeze suddenly tickled your ear, your fur puffing out again. You gazed to the north, a carpeted staircase in plain view. It was now or never. You skimmed across the silky carpet, jumping over the wooden banister and racing down the stairs and into the dark corridor below. Your light paws gave no noise on the stone floor as your ran. A loud crashing sound came from above, and your delight switched to instant panic. You knew that they'd find the loose door, but you'd hoped that they'd find it much much later.

"What in the name of holy fu- Toriel! You're gonna want to see this!"

"Quickly! This calls for drastic measures! Search the house at once!"

"ROGER THAT!" You automatically sprinted faster down the purple corridor, coming face to face with a large set of stone doors. You threw yourself against it, frantically trying to escape your pursuers. The stone doors slid open just a bit, a chalky sound emitting from them.

"The stairs! Look! The carpet has been altered on the stairs! They're getting away!" The stone doors finally gave way, you slipping between the narrow space, adrenaline coursing through your body as you left the doors open. You barreled down the corridor, past another set of stone doors. As you opened them, you came to another cavern, appearing just like the grassy one. You skipped the shit out of that room and headed through yet another door at the far end. The mere pounding of boots behind you made you haul ass faster.

"Fuck! The door's been opened! They got- GET BACK HERE!" You came to another doorway, skidding on the cold tile. Righting yourself, you whipped past the doorway and through another pair of stone doors.

The first thing that came into view was the snow. And giant trees suddenly came to your needy convenience. You sunk your sharp claws into the nearest pine tree and climbed for your life, fading into the trees behind. Funny, as _you were actually climbing for your life_. Sure, it was freezing out here, but that major getaway gave you plenty of temporary warmth. You stilled yourself against the massive pine trunk and waited, magic at the ready. Sap had began to stick onto your clothes.


	3. Hiding In The Woods

Small And Delicate

The dark pine branches that you'd perched on were thick and brittle, and the heavy snowfall from above had snuffed out your flowery scent. You were currently positioned in the thick canopies of the pine trees, eyes locked onto the huge stone doors of the Ruins. Your pursuers could burst through that door at any given moment. But they didn't, so you were left alone to your thoughts.

Beautiful white snow danced around the top of the trees, your breath coming out in cold clouds. Your thick fur coat left you naturally warmer than most folk so the cold only bothered you just a little bit. You could stay out here for hours and feel cold during the last few minutes.

Suddenly, the Ruin doors burst open, a heavy gust of tepid air flowing out.

"Dammit!" You narrowed your eyes to see them better. The speaker, a heavily built fish monster, stomped from the darkness of the Ruins, their navy blue scales glistening with sweat and slightly shaking. Their long maroon hair was messily draped across their back and shoulders, their bright yellow eyes narrowed and searching in the clearing beneath you, eyes travelling over every tiny detail. They looked heavily intimidating.

You held on tighter to the branch, not daring to make a sound. Your claws dug feverishly into the trunk, your eyes locked onto their muscular form. This was not the surface, and if you set a toe out of line here, you could die and respawn in who knows where. Most likely somewhere dangerous.

"They got away! Dammit! I had one job to do and whoever that scumbag was, broke in and got away!" Alright, that really set your fur on edge. You gave a quiet growl and peered forward over the branches of the tree. Sure, breaking into their house was bad, but being called a scumbag? At least you didn't steal anything. The monster, cloaked in a short black tank top, kicked the snow off the ground with their red boots and growled.

"UNDYNE, PLEASE WAIT!" A tall skeleton had appeared from the darkness too, clamping a red gloved hand onto the fish monster's shoulder. They were shaking, slightly out of breath from their run.

"NOW I'M SURE THAT THERE IS A JUSTIFIABLE REASON-" They began.

"They got away Papyrus. That's something that I can't just take lightly. What if they're like Chara?" Papyrus, from who you assumed was the tall skeleton, looked very alarmed and anxious, but gently smiled at the vicious monster next to them.

"PERHAPS THEY WERE WARY OF US. NOT EVERY HUMAN HAS A BAD PURPOSE-"

"Or perhaps they got past to exchange info about the Underground with their fellow humans! This is serious business Papyrus! That human could murder the monsters of the underground and take away everything that we have! They're aware of something that Frisk wasn't when they fell! That Chara didn't know when they fell! We can't just sit around and turn a blind eye to this! They'll spread havoc and dust in their path! We have to-" The fish monster was suddenly cut off as another monster had emerged.

"That's enough. Even from what we've seen, a human who dares to face us is better than a human who fears the better. We must seek them out and question them. Perhaps, they aren't so bloodthirsty as you make them out to be. But still..." A large goat monster had reared their head from the darkness of the Ruins, coming to tower over the fish and skeleton monsters. They had a cold and regal look in their eyes, a dull glare aimed at the fish monster.

"But Toriel-"

"I understand your fear Undyne, but I assure you that we'll set out as soon as possible to find this wary human. I'll tell Flowey to alert Asgore to this problem."

"Scared? Me?" You'd begun to assign names to the various monsters: the tall skeleton in the fluttering red cape was Papyrus, the heavily built fish monster was Undyne, and the elegant goat monster was Toriel. The names strangely fit their appearances. They didn't appear to be savage, but you held your tongue. They still had yet to notice your position in the background.

"Undyne! P-please slow d-down!" A short lizard monster in a lab coat had hurled itself out of the Ruins and at Undyne, and had latched onto their elbows, clearly frightened by their disappearance.

"Alphys. Go alert the others to gather their items. It appears that we're going on a… human...hunt." Toriel clearly looked displeased at the prospect and shot Undyne a heated glare while Alphys, the short lizard apparently, straightened their thick-framed glasses on their snout. They looked to be fidgeting, their orange scales glistening in sweat.

"Y-yes Toriel! Right away!"

"no need." The low baritone voice was back. You shivered with apprehension.

"SANS!" A shorter skeleton in a baby blue parka had randomly appeared next to Papyrus, a small human child running at their side. Welp. Why didn't they just capture THAT human? Nevermind. You could see the correlation between the two skeletons, as the taller one looked fondly at the smaller one. Perhaps they were siblings? You shook your head, listening intently to the conversation at hand. The small kid beside them began to move their hands rapidly, signing something to the group unto which they paid close attention.

"I seriously doubt that Frisk. Whoever it was, took off in a hurry. They're obviously hiding something."

"YES. THEY DIDN'T EVEN INTRODUCE THEMSELVES. HOW RUDE." The child, apparently called Frisk, had signed some more words to the monsters, the group tediously shaking their head and speaking in hushed murmurs. You craned your head to listen closer.

Shrugging, Frisk moved over to Toriel, hands holding onto the edge of their long tunic.

"But what happens if we find them? What will happen with them then?"

"there's not much that we can do. we ran outta SOUL's a long time ago."

"No. When I catch that human, I'm gonna rip their SOUL out of their chest and use it to capture more humans on the surface!" You stopped listening at that last sentence and swallowed. Wow, okay. So you were in some deep shit right now. You recounted the number of monsters and their names: Undyne the fish monster, Papyrus the tall skeleton, Toriel the goat monster, Alphys the lizard monster, Sans the short skeleton, and the human child, Frisk. That was a mouthful. You were missing one… Probably the one that they mentioned earlier: Flowey. What a weird name. Silently slipping back into the cover if the pine trees, you made your way through the thick treetops, not stopping until you were very far from that group of murderous monsters.

As you made your way through the icy forest, you spotted an obvious thick branch out of place in the snow far below. Another item was a bridge, the brass bars way too far apart to stop anyone from passing. continued until you found a sentry station. Heavy piles of snow gathered on the roof, a weirdly shaped lamp standing forgotten across from it. You slipped out from under the tree's cover and into the open, kinking your tail in anxiety. It was dead quiet out here. Too quiet. But it was safe. For now, at least.

There were small snow lumps in the corner that you promptly ignored. They were kind of shaped like dogs though. Those small ones that humans constantly let off of their leashes… What were they called..? You cautiously crept towards the strange station, your ears pricked for any sudden movement. More than likely, it was just an abandoned sentry station. You cautiously peered behind it, finding huge bottles of condiments and hot dog buns under the counter. You sighed in relief. It would've sucked if someone was in there, waiting for you to inspect it.

Turning around, you spotted a path to the your left, leading further into the dark forest. You gradually followed the frosty path, passing a clearing with a small birch box and various exits to your north and east. You kept going forward, ignoring the shiny birch box that was now collecting snow on its lid. You came to another sentry station, not much farther from the other.

It looked as if it were crafted by a child, its handiwork sloppy and poorly built. The roof had already caved in, and a thick pile of snow had begun to collect on the inside. It was much darker than the other, and a long metal sign hung on the front of the desk. You slowly approached the sentry station, keeping your ears up. There were a couple plates of frozen pasta inside, the inside smelling like rotten tomatoes.

"heya kit."

You gave a deafening screech and flattened yourself against the wooden desk of the sentry station. It just so happens that at that precise moment, you'd lost your shit. Your entire body had froze up, not daring to move in any way. Your fur had suggestively puffed out, yellow eyes full of fear and guilt. You were doomed.

How the stealthy little shit caught up with you was beyond your train of thought as that train had went hurtling off the tracks long ago. There was an awkward pause and the silence was more than uncomfortable for the both of you. The presence at your back had moved to your side, but to you, it felt as if they were all around you, trapping you between them and the feeble wooden desk of the sentry station. You began to tremble feverishly, your breathing picking up.

"you happen to see anything strange around here, kid?" Your eyes widened. That's right. You looked just like any old monster. Whoever it was had thought that you were just another monster which meant that you were somewhat safe. Turning around slowly, you came face to face with the shorter skeleton from earlier. Sans, you recalled, stared back at you, waiting for an answer. Pinpricks of dim light shone from the depths of his eye sockets, looking you over, ever so fucking slowly. You stared back, beads of sweat building up in your thick brown fur.

You were now so close that you didn't have to squint to see him clearly. He wore a baby blue hoodie with a white turtleneck underneath, black basketball shorts, white socks, and…white house slippers? Hey. It's his fashion sense. Not yours. You met his steely gaze with your own, a pro poker face at the ready.

"No. Not if you count a box in the middle of the forest." Your mind had returned to the strange birch box. It WAS most certainly strange and hopefully, he'd buy into it.

"you from around here kit?" There it was. You didn't know of any other zone in this place, not to mention that if you said something stupid, you were done for. You decided to wing it.

"No. I was touring from the capital. Things get boring when you're in the same place for too long. Besides, it's fun to get lost every once in awhile." He peered at you slowly. For a statement pulled from the buttcrack of the void, it was pretty good.

"you need any help getting back, kit?" He bought it. The guy bought it. Since when the fuck were you so smooth at excuses? You subconsciously high fived yourself.

"Nah. The cold doesn't really bother me so I can stay out here for a good while. I'm sure that I'll find my way back. Thank you for the offer though." You gave a nonchalant shrug and stuck your paws in your sweater pockets, mimicking his own actions. Your tail swished gently in the snow, sending clouds of pearly white flakes into the air.

"welp. get home safely then." And with that, he turned around and went back the way he came, disappearing behind a lone pine tree. Weird. Why'd he come out here only to turn around? You were about to continue onto the path away from Sans when an even taller skeleton came from the aforementioned disappearance spot.

"SANS! I- HELLO OVER THERE!" Fuck. You quickly turned around, locking eyes with the taller skeleton who was bounding over to meet you. If it was even possible, your fur had puffed out to twice its' size, making you look like a giant brown cotton ball. Sans had stood in place, his eyes staying on the taller skeleton. That was Papyrus, you remembered. Sans was no problem, but Papyrus was another story. He towered above your puny frame of five feet, standing about four heads higher. This one, you were scared of. He looked as though he could kill you easily.

Papyrus stopped short of a foot in front of you, eagerly awaiting your greeting. Sans was now standing next to his brother, his head reaching Papyrus's shoulder. He eyed your form silently chuckling at your fluffed up appearance.

"H-hi there." You were sweating, mostly because the entire group from earlier was now in sight. Once they'd spotted you, they'd began to move faster, Toriel especially. Your voice cracked near the end.

"HELLO THERE MONSTER CHILD! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! THIS IS MY LAZY BROTHER, SANS! AND YOU ARE?" The group was now rapidly approaching, Undyne, covering ground faster at the sight of you, much like Toriel.

"I-I'm Lion. J-just Lion." While it wasn't your real name, you didn't trust these people with your real name. They both sounded male. Papyrus who looked overjoyed, stuck out his gloved hand, in which you slowly took it and shook. He seemed to squeal when you did, making you jump.

"SAY MONSTER CHILD! HAVE YOU SEEN A HUMAN AROUND HERE OR ANYWHERE? WE'RE LOOKING FOR ONE AS OF NOW! THEY SHOULD BE AROUND HERE SOMEWHERE.." They were looking for you. Heh. They had no idea that the human was actually you. Score.

"Nope. Though I'm sure a human wouldn't be hard to find. If I do see one, I'll make sure to find you, though." The skeletons looked confused at your answer. Undyne, who'd split the two brothers apart, had rapidly confirmed your mistake.

"And how would you know what a human looks like?" They glared down at you, their sharp teeth poking out from their lips and their golden eyes narrowed at your tiny form. You swallowed.

"Knowledge." You shifted into smartass mode, a silent smile playing on your lips.

"What type of knowledge, punk?" Her eyebrows were scrunched together, beady eyes waiting for your answer.

"Knowledge that humans have skin and that they have a human soul, and stuff." Your answer clearly pissed her off as she began to scowl again. The other monsters had soon formed a half circle around you, intrigued as to who the new monster was.

"Anywho, I have places to be and things to see. If I DO find a human, I'll make sure to look for you." You bowed hastily towards the group, and turned on your heels, disappearing into the dense undergrowth before they could ask you more questions. You gave a sigh of relief, your fur laying flat on your body once more. The skeletons seemed to buy into your monster disguise, keeping you safe from the truth. You quietly set down upon the path only for Papyrus to call on you again. It seemed as though attempting to disappear did nothing.

"EXCUSE ME! MONSTER CHILD!" You turned around again, the group from before keeping pace to catch up with you. Once more, your fur fluffed out again. You heard a deep chuckle from Sans as the group had caught up with you. Dammit.

"what's up with your fur, kit?" You huffed and attempted to flatten out your thick pelt, failing to do so.

"It's just natural instinct. It's been flaring up like this ever since I've gotten here **.** I don't know why, seeing as how it's hardly cold."

"ANYWHO, MY BROTHER SANS HAS INFORMED ME THAT YOU ARE FROM THE CAPITAL AND THAT YOU ARE TOURING SNOWDIN ALONE, CORRECT?" Dammit Sans. You sent a quick glare at Sans before nodding your answer, the other monsters peering at you curiously. How far could you go with this half-assed disguise? Hopefully, miles.

"Yup! That's correct."

"OH GOODY! IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, YOU COULD TAG ALONG WITH US?"

"Wait, what?" Why would you want to go on a human search with you?

"THERE ARE OTHER DANGEROUS MONSTERS LURKING AROUND THIS AREA THAT APPEAR TO LIKE SPARS! IF YOU DON'T LIKE TO FIGHT, THEN YOU SHOULD TAG ALONG WITH MY GROUP TO AVOID THEM! WE CAN ALL SEARCH FOR THE HUMAN TOGETHER! DOESN'T THAT SOUND LIKE FUN?!" You thought dubiously for a moment, coming back to your disguise and faulty backstory. Would they eventually catch on? You could most certainly hold yourself off in a grand magic fight, but you might get overwhelmed if there's giant amount of monsters in the area.

On the other hand, you could go with Papyrus and his group, and be spared the occasional skirmish, but only to be asked constant questions about your backstory and family. These monsters could lead you to your death… Or they could take you to who knows where... You carefully weighed your imminent decisions, a slight frown appearing on your muzzle. You decided against going with them at all. Now that you thought about it, you could definitely survive the monster onslaught and if not, you could always try to escape.

"uh kid? kit?"

"Hmm? Sorry! I kind of spaced out there for a bit there. You were saying…?"

"are you comin' or not?" Sans and the others peered downwards at your small frame, awaiting your decision that you'd already made.

"Nah. I can survive. Thank you for the offer though. I'm sure that I can find my way back to the capital. Or at least towards the river." You attempted to disengage the conversation, waving goodbye and setting off towards the north exit. That is, until the ripped fish monster from earlier hoisted you into the air with her decked out arms. You gave a loud screech as she crushed the air out of your lungs.

"No way! I insist that you come with us! Who knows where that human might be hiding! Come on!" Undyne had you in a terrifying death grip, grinning down at your struggling form. That sadistic grin was most definitely hostile, suspicious of your actions. You clearly weren't comfortable, but since you were the runt in the group ( apart from Frisk and Alphys ), and you couldn't just panic and run away when the going gets tough, you'd just have to go with the flow. It would raise high suspicions if you resisted, and you really didn't need that right now.

"I don't actually have a say in this, do I?"

"Nope! Now come on! We've got work to do!" Undyne had effortlessly thrown you over her shoulder, yourself being wrenched in her deadly vice grip, even tighter than before. Just how strong was this monster?!

You falsely relaxed in her grip, your form falling limp on her shoulders. Tensing up was pointless and even though you were on your deathbed, you'd go out not giving two shits. Undyne had suddenly moved forward, you being her eyes in the back.

The others in the group had graciously stared at you from on Undyne's back, your form laying limp, eyes closed, and mouth, straight. You looked like this was an everyday thing for you, because mostly, it was.

"UNDYNE! PLEASE DO NOT MANHANDLE THE MONSTER CHILD!" You'd been randomly jostled on Undyne's shoulder, the scent of sushi reaching your nose.

"Yes Undyne. Do not mishandle the child." Toriel had hesitantly reached out at you, drawing back as Undyne jostled you again.

"Relax. This kid is as light as a feather. It's no prob." You immediately reared your head around at her statement, fighting to keep that snarl in your throat. You were NOT short and you were NOT lightweight. You were manly and tough as heck. The others seemed to notice your reaction and shared a humorous knowing look. You scowled roughly at them.

"IT SEEMS THAT THE MONSTER CHILD DOES NOT LIKE BEING CALLED SHORT, UNDYNE." What was with that sneaky grin Papyrus?!

"I didn't call them short, Paps. I'm just saying that they're lightweight. I could hold them in one hand easily! I bet that even Frisk could hold them! They're so small and delicate!" This time, you couldn't hold yourself back.

"Excuse me?!" You gave a deep and throaty snarl, teeth bared, and the baritone tone reverberating around the snowy clearing. A snort issued only from Undyne who covered her mouth to express her laughter. The others had stared at you, oblivious about the fact that your claws were slowly sliding out.

"I'm not delicate. I can accept that I'm short, sure, but I am NOT delicate." You crossed your arms on her back and puffed, making her laugh harder than she already was. Sans falsely snorted from his position next to Papyrus, his pinprick eyes narrowed suspiciously at you. Toriel had hid a small smile behind her paw, and Frisk was madly giggling, signing something at Undyne.

"Yeah you are, punk! The kid is right!" She moved her arms to carry you effortlessly under her arm. Just like how someone would carry a football.

"You're just like a giant pillow! A fuzzy one at that!" There you go. Just ruined your day right there.

"Wow. Okay, way to ruin my pride there. Yep. Just throw my pride into the wind. I'll just be here, being a giant resentful fuzzy pillow." At that, Undyne began to laugh hysterically, her body shaking with wild laughter. You could hear Sans and Papyrus joining along, Toriel in the back laughing just as hard. Alphys had to carry Frisk, who'd collapsed laughing in the snow. You had a murderous scowl on your face, a low growl issuing from your throat. Perhaps you should've just ran away when you had the chance.

Suddenly, your feet were planted firmly on the ground. Undyne was now laying flat in the snow, shaking with bursts of giggles. Giggling should be made illegal.

"Holy jeez! Are you okay? You look like you're having the time of your life down there." Papyrus had to kneel beside the fish lady and carry her, she was laughing so hard. You scoffed, turning away from Undyne, your tail lashing in the snow.

"I'm, *wheeze*, okay! Just, *cough*, give me a second kid!" She was _still_ laughing, a couple coughs and wheezes escaping her lips. Sans had stopped laughing and was eyeing you with mild curiosity. You locked eyes with him for a second, your amber eyes burning holes into his eye sockets. He looked away. You puffed out with mild annoyance, turning away from the group, and continuing on your previous path, away from the other monsters. You'd had enough of this belittlement.

Choosing to ignore them for the present time being, you continued onwards, a clearing coming into view. It was just a puzzle. Two neon red circles glowed in the snow. A pile of snow separated the two and a lone floor panel lay nearby. You inwardly sighed. You didn't hate puzzles but they were a severe inconvenience to you.

"OH! THIS REMINDS ME OF THE HUMAN!" Papyrus and the others had caught up with you. You inwardly sighed again. You'd gone to look at Frisk who looked at Papyrus. Which one was he talking about?

"THE ANONYMOUS HUMAN IN THE RUINS HAD SOLVED THE PUZZLES THERE WITH EASE! WELL, OKAY. MAYBE THEY SKIPPED SOME, BUT THEY STILL SOLVED SOME!" Ah. It was you that he was talking about. You briefly remembered swimming in the water to avoid the spike bridge puzzles and hopping over the bricks in the room with all the holes in the floor.

"PERHAPS THEY AVOIDED THIS ONE TOO!" You were indeed going to avoid this one with all of your might.

"You could be right Papyrus! Quickly! Everybody scan for footprints!" With that, the group quickly dispersed into every known direction, checking the snow for fresh footprints, albeit creating fresh ones themselves. You went west of the puzzle, absentmindedly gazing over the steep edge of the snowy cliff to peer at the grimdark woods below.

You didn't realize how huge this snowy cavern was at first, the woods extending far into the vast darkness. It was then that you spotted it: a faint glimpse of something very bright. The colors were green and yellow, briefly appearing in the undergrowth but fading out of existence at your curious gaze. What was that? It wasn't normal at all for monsters to just disappear like that. A nervous feeling pooled in the pit of your stomach, making the small hairs on the back of your neck rise.

"woah buddy. relax. it's just me. sans." The skeleton in name had stooped beside your trembling form in the snow, giving you a confused and suspicious look. You slowly looked at Sans, then back at the previous spot of the thing. The spot was much darker than before. You shivered, slowly rising back to your paws.

"what's up kit? you alright?" Sans was still at your side, the pinpricks of light in his sockets piercing your own. You knew he didn't trust you, and you didn't trust him either. You didn't care much about that though. You didn't trust any of them. But they might know something that you don't...

"I-I'm fine. J-Just… saw something… strange." You looked fearfully back at the woods, the snowy pines anything but beautiful.

"like what?" His full attention was on you now, the lights in his eyes dimmer than before. His stare was burning holes into your own.

"I saw something oddly discolored... Something green and yellow? It sort of, faded out of sight when I saw it. Maybe it was a monster..?" You looked back at him from your anxious thoughts. You froze. His sockets were devoid of any emotion, the dark sockets like never-ending pools of fear. Whatever you said had terrified him. Badly.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to frighten you! I just thought that it was strange..." You quietly apologized to Sans, the lights in his eyes seeming to come back. He eyed you for a few moments before replying.

"it's alright kid. probably just a decorated gryftrot. nothing too strange." With that, Sans had turned back around, the group following suit. You continued to gaze out into the forest. Whatever that was had shaken you. What was a Gryftrot and were they always that elusive? You'd started to tremble fiercely, wrapping your tail around your lithe body. You'd sensed that whatever it was had sensed you ,too. That was bad. You needed to get the hell out of this snowy place before you broke down from fear.

Being able to blend in with monsters was a huge advantage, but when would they see through your disguise? These woods seemed to never end, and you shivered, your breath coming out as miniscule cloud. The extreme cold was starting to wear on you. You looked towards the ceiling of the cavern, eyeing the darkness with mild distaste. You weren't gonna cry. You could handle this. Just. One step at a time...

The others who'd started to discuss something had purposely left you out, and you clearly didn't care less. You were too busy thinking to notice. What you didn't notice was that Toriel, Frisk, and Sans had began to stare at your form as did the others. That you seemed to turn off and remain oblivious to their questioning comments from behind you. It was getting even darker within the vast cavern, and you let it seep into your fur. You were about to zone out from boredom like you normally did. And as the darkness came closer, your mind settles on an old memory from your childhood...


	4. Memories From Your Youth

The Where and The When

You were still very young at the time, heck you couldn't even remember the humans who'd committed the crime. Your parents were still alive back then too. You were never really innocent to the flaws of the world, and your trust is what kept you afloat for all those bleak years. But now, there was none of that… Those awful humans… what they did was truly unforgivable in your eyes, but then again, you had grown up despising humans for what they were. But you remembered your breaking point. It wasn't long ago, but you felt as though it'd happened centuries ago.

It was the last day of the autumn hunting season, as the next day would be the normal spar between you and your parents. When the humans would come to hunt the stags and rabbits was when the surveillance around your home grew more vicious. They were relentless about finding out the true secrets of the forest, those humans. Nearly found the house too. Mostly because your parents were homicidal maniacs.

They were a special brand of boss monsters, the two of them, just like you. Ever since you could barely walk, they began to teach you strong magic, ensuring that your safety in the harsh human world was a constant. Your parents had constantly reminded you of what the humans had done long ago:

How the humans who'd feared the monsters and their strong magic had attacked with such ferocity and anger. They had slaughtered the multitude of the other sentient race, massacring mothers and children. The monsters had valiantly fought, but in the end, they were forced under the mountain, sealed by a barrier of strong magic from the mystical human mages. The mages who'd sacrificed their physical matter to the barrier had put a lock on the barrier, the key to freedom being a merciless slaughter of seven humans. After that, there were no more humans mages. They didn't see the need to fear any more monsters. The humans had went on with their normal lives, taking over abandoned monster territories and growing young. Never passing down the horrendous tale of their own felony. But they were wrong in everything that they did after expelling the majority of the monsters…

They'd missed multiple hordes of strong rogue monsters, who were enraged at the imprisonment of their fellow brothers and sisters. Those rogue monsters had started another war, exacting their revenge on the humans. There was a major loss of human young, the monsters striking out with their magic in the darkness. People mysteriously went missing, only for the victim's' body to turn up months later. Villages were burnt down, many were sacrificed, and many humans slept fearfully at night, the prospect of becoming a new victim, fresh on their minds. Out of fear and anxiety, the humans had gathered together to search for the loners remaining monsters, taking every firearm that they could lay their hands on. After a brutal and merciless season, the humans had eventually become victorious, wiping out almost every monster on the surface. Soon after, they left the original story to rot, purposefully forgetting the existence of monsters and the bloody war was to be forgotten by history. They told their young of silly monsters that hid underneath beds and in closets, waiting to scare the pants off of them. An offensive story at its finest hour.

The key is almost. Amongst a group of incredibly strong boss monsters, your parents were some of the sole survivors, hiding in the shadows and killing any human who dared to show their face. The rest of the boss monsters had surrendered, retreating into the desolate expanse of Mt. Ebott. They all survived the war, even though the most difficult times, and having you at the end of it, their only successor. No matter how much of a failure that you turned out to be.

You grew up in a small oak cottage, at the heart of the thickest and darkest section of the woods. It was a well-known place for mysterious human disappearances, and as humans never learn, the majority of their population would investigate here and there. Heh. Only to be savagely offed by your parents. It really came to terms when murder was at stake. If they had any kind of firearms, then they were slaughtered on sight. Didn't matter what the age was. If they didn't have a firearm, then YOU would be saddled with the task to follow them and decide their fate.

Your parents were blunt and very strict, not letting you leave their sight until you were old enough to fend for yourself. They both had a lot of LV, hardly batting an eyelash at the sight of gore or the cries of the dying. You often tagged along with them, gaining heaps of experience, and learning the vital points of humans. It came in handy, knowing what could kill them easily and what couldn't. Your parents were no fools, ignoring the innocence and naive lessons of the young and skipping straight towards teaching you about sex, gore, and the harsh reality of life as rogue monsters. You accepted their way of life, taking it as your own and using your knowledge to fuel your big ambitions.

When you were born, you were born with two souls, one being a monster soul, the other being a human soul. It wasn't a rare mutation, as your parents had told you that monster children who'd been born after the sealing of Mt. Ebott had the same mutation, but unlike you, had perished. It had stunted your growth in your early years, causing you to grow at a very slow rate. Nevertheless, you put up with it.

You had a positive-negative charge. Humans had a negative charge, and monsters had a positive charge. The various fauna and flora had a neutral charge, as your father had taught you. You couldn't absorb anybody's soul, nor could they absorb yours. A paradox, really. Your parents were eager to study your mutation, encouraging you to test your limits. You normally stuck with your stormy gray monster soul. Trying to draw power from your human soul was much too dangerous, as you could accidentally conjoin the two.

Your parents often forced you to spar with them, the spars being friendly physical and magical fights to determine how strong you were and to give you pointers for real fights. They educated you by their own paws, giving you that of an advantage of a genius.

Your father was a scientist of high caliber and was often deeply engrossed in chemistry and physics. He was a former royal scientist and used his knowledge of chemicals and such to create poisons. He'd showed you how to make a poison that would rapidly kill cells on contact. Your dad was radical.

Your mother was a tough warrior who had a gift for gardening. She'd been the former head of the royal guard. She often forced you to help her grow the herbs that would fuel your father's poisons. The two made a deadly combination, even though they hated each other's guts.

You had a knack for knowing anatomy, studying the mutilated corpses of the humans that your parents killed. You even studied your own parents, taking in their physical anatomy and what would happen to their magic circulation if you did certain things. You always insisted it'd be helpful. You were right in the end.

The one ironic thing about your parents was their weakness. Your mom controlled fire magic and could absorb any lesser fire than her own, being as strong as she was then. Your father controlled electricity and could start a fire with anything, anytime, anywhere using only the weather and his surroundings. Basically, they both controlled a type of heat and power. The one thing you all were weak to was man-made items that could kill regardless: fire, chemicals, pesticides, etc. The one weapon the humans had used on your parents: fire. Ironically, it's one of the elements that you control next to electricity, that haunted your nightmares and taunted your very existence. You were lucky just to survive that encounter...

Your parents, who'd already gone out to hunt for wild game in the early morning, had insisted that it was your turn. Your house was protected by a spell of strong magic, keeping it hidden from the watchful eyes of humans. An occasional straggler got in, but one of you was always on patrol for that sort of thing. It was mid-afternoon, about the time that more humans would begin to show up. You'd done this song and dance so many times that you knew the rules and cautions like the claws in your paws. With a cheery call and an assurance of safety, you'd skipped out the door, ducking into the shadows of the forests. You had been in the woods for a good hour or two, having caught a large duffel bag full of prey. Mostly quails and rabbits. They were stringy but they'd have to do. You were on your way back when you caught the strong scent of smoke. One thing led to another and somebody's arm got torn off. Your house was on fire, and your parents were in it. Now sure, some cats have nine lives. You still had all of yours. Your parents, however, had both just lost their last and final, leaving you all by yourself. And you cried. For hours, you sat next to the burning remains of the house and cried yourself to sleep. The humans who'd did the crime had tried to toss you in the fire too, but you'd countered their actions, completely ripping off the human's arms with your sharp fangs. You could still taste the strong tang of copper… They fled in a wild panic, one stopping to spit at the remains of the what used to be. You knew that they'd die on their way out. The wolves would smell the blood. After the house had stopped smoking, you'd ventured inside, various charred dust piles pooling near the old dining room. The wind had swept them away, along with your hopes and dreams. You couldn't recover any pictures, settling for a half-scorched sweater. The huge clouds of smoke would attract the humans any time now. And yet, you were all alone now. At least, you were before you felt a cloth tied around your mouth, and you falling limp in a stranger's grasp.

"kid? kid, you alright?" You were suddenly swept back into the present with a bang, Sans standing over you with a small frown. How that was even possible, you didn't know. The others were gathered around you too, each having the same amount of worried expressions. You remembered that you had stopped to think about something, looking over the cliff in anxiety. You'd zoned off for a long while. A large pile of snow gathered in you lap.

"Yeah. I just spaced out for a second there. No need to be worried." You carefully eyed each member of the group, an apologetic smile for their troubles. You gave a small yawn, stretching from your long sit.

"Do NOT do that again, you little punk! We were worried that you died or something! You weren't breathing at all!" That was normal, your breathing cutting off when you became idle for too long. A blunt wake-up call that never failed to work. You could tell that they were genuinely worried for your health, Toriel sweating bullets in the background. Meh. They'd better get used to it. They dragged you into this mess after all. You got to your paws, throwing the icy lake in the distance once last weary glance before facing the others.

"Sure, I guess." You shrugged, your voice hoarse with sadness.

"You GUESS?!"

"U-undyne! P-please calm down!" Alphys had started to sweat and had hastily attached herself to Undyne's elbow once more.

"I'm calm, Alph. It was just… strange..." Undyne had stooped to pick up Alphys, giving a gentle but strong nose boop on the lizard monster's snout. Alphys had begun to turn red, small drops of blood appearing from her nostrils.

"Oh my!"

"Come on then! Let's get going!" With Alphys still in her arms, Undyne took off, throwing snow in her wake. You shielded your face from most of the blow, yawning again.

"I AGREE! LET US HURRY TO SNOWDIN!" With that Papyrus had picked up Frisk and had hurtled after the monster duo, giving a high-pitched "nyeheheh" as he went. Toriel had followed close behind Papyrus, worried for the safety of her precious child, all the while glancing back at just left you with Sans. Golly. You hated awkward situations, and if necessary, you often broke the ice.

"tibia honest, I found it strange that a monster child should be messing around in the forest. why are you out here, really?" Well apparently he broke the ice first. He sure knew how to get to the point. You shrugged and began to trudge through the snow, keeping pace with Sans.

"no. really. why did you come out here in the first place?"

"To explore!" Jazz hands, activated. Sans gave you a skeptical look, in which you replied, jazz hands intensified. No, that was a pun, you will resist the urge to laugh. You let your arms fall back to your thighs, a dark glimmer forming in your eyes.

"to explore, huh?"

"Yup!" You knew how to fake emotions, excitement being your best, yet. You often used it to trick your parents and the humans, concealing your numbness to the world.

"so you've never been outside the capital?"

"No. My parents always said that it was too I would get lost, or worse yet, kidnapped So today, I decided to just head out on my own. I just wanna get out more! I don't mind getting lost once in awhile. It just adds to the adventure!" That was still true. While you didn't know what capital Sans was talking about, you had called the area around your house 'the capital' and your parents had never let you wander outside the perimeter. You had once tried to climb Mt. Ebott, but your dad had given you quite the ear boxing when he'd found you. 'YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN YOURSELF KILLED! WHAT WERE YOU EVEN THINKING, IDIOT?!'

"There was a saying that went with adventures… What was it? Ah! Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. That's pretty much my life story right there." Sans snorted, eyeing you from the side with mild mirth.

"What? Did I say something humorous?" He laughed even harder, pointing at you all the while, giggling to himself. It took you a while to process it in your head. Curiosity killed the cat. _The cat_. Dammit. You groaned at your unintentional pun, holding your head in one paw while swatting at Sans with the other. Sans just kept laughing. You didn't mind puns, heck you even told your own sometimes, but you couldn't just be spontaneous with them.

"nothin' kid. nothin'." He laughed for a good couple minutes, you trying to pull up another topic.

"So what's Snowdin like? If it's anything like this forest, it's dark, freezing, and full of puzzles." You hoped that it wasn't a big city. You could deal with a small village, sure, but being around large groups of people made you nervous. After all, you grew up solely around your parents and your captors, both consisting of two to three people. Before that, you were isolated constantly, taking walks all the time to clear your thoughts.

"it's great there. not as fancy as the capital, but we have our own sort of culture there. the shopkeepers attract the random tourist, Grillbys makes the best burgers and fries, the library has information, and there aren't as many people around. it's pretty cold here after all. only the warmest of monsters can handle it." You quizzically stared at the small skeleton.

"What are burgers and fries?" Sans had whipped his head around and gave you the most disbelieving look in the history of disbelieving looks. What? You grew up on wild game and random fish that you caught from the lake. You cooked all of it, yes, but this was the first that you'd heard of the item.

"you're _kitting_ me, right?"

"Really Sans?"

"pun intentional, but seriously? you've never heard of burgers and fries?"

"Nope. My family and I eat bread and water all the time."

"kid. we're going to Grillby's as soon as we get to Snowdin." He was just being friendly. Why were you so nervous? You were sure that he wouldn't poison them with cyanide and arsenic so what's the deal emotions? You nodded your head, eager to discover what the big deal was with the item. It sounded like Snowdin was gonna be a lot of fun.

It had taken quite a while, you and Sans telling jokes to pass the time. Well, him telling you really bad puns and you throwing snowballs at him and groaning at his terrible, but funny jokes. You'd soon came to a wooden bridge, the icy cavern severely dropping in altitude and a dark chasm awaiting you below. You weren't scared of heights: you were a cat, you could just latch onto the walls with your claws, if you were close enough, that is. It was the others that you were worried about. You were sure that they'd come this way before you had even appeared in the underground, but they didn't have a safety net as you did. At least, you weren't sure they didn't have one.

"SANS! MONSTER CHILD! WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOUR ARRIVAL FOREVER! STOP TORTURING THE MONSTER CHILD WITH YOUR LAME JOKES!"

"Calm down, Papyrus. Sans! Stop being such a nerd, keeping back the monster child with your terrible puns!" Your throat was sore from laughing so much, that last pun so bad that you had to take a breather. You weren't cold yet, but the others clearly were though. Undyne was shivering intensely despite her large jacket. Alphys was shivering, huddling into Undyne for warmth. Toriel and Frisk were in the corner, huddling in a giant cuddle pile. Papyrus was fine and so was Sans, so they apparently weren't affected by the cold. It was hilarious to you, as you began to giggle uncontrollably. Here were all these monsters that were probably freezing their asses off in winter gear, and here you were with a thin sweater and some short shorts, with the most _chill_ expression. Oh god. Stop with the unintentional puns, dammit!

"what's so _humerus_ pal" You shot a playful glare at Sans, who'd merely shrugged and chuckled. The others had looked towards you in confusion.

"Everybody's dressed for the snow and they're freezing their butts off, and yet here I am, dressed for the hottest temperatures and I'm not even fazed. And considering the fact that it's _still_ snowing, this strikes me as being very _humerus_." You were cackling now, the others glaring at you for your advantage of being naturally warmer. Thank god for your fur pelt.

"Yeah! What's the deal with that?! Must be some witchcraft or something! It's probably that fur!"

"THAT'S NONSENSE UNDYNE! TORIEL HAS FUR TOO AND SHE IS FREEZING!" That was true. Toriel did have some thick fur. Which led them to stare curiously at you. You could help them. Or you could just let them freeze. Hmm. What to choose..?

"Do you guys need help or something? Cause you'll get sick if you stay out in the cold for too long."

"No duh, punk! Now give me your secret before I make you into a new jacket!"

"Okay, okay. Come closer. A little more than that." Undyne had slowly scooted toward you, Alphys following behind in the jacket.

"Let me see your jacket for a sec'. Don't worry. I'm not gonna spill acid on it or anything. I'm just gonna char the heck out of it." She hesitantly gave you her leather jacket, unto which you stuck between your paws. You deployed your fire magic, not burning it, but emitting heat. Wrapping your magic around the cold garment, you fluffed out the interior of the jacket, the inside fur becoming rich with burning heat. As you heated up the jacket, you heard Toriel give a small gasp from the corner and Papyrus give a confused "nyeh" a couple paces away. With a tired sigh, you graciously bestowed the jacket back to Undyne who stared at you with slight hostility before taking the jacket. As soon as her fingers made contact with the garment, she immediately wrapped it around herself and Alphys, zipping it up as to preserve the delicious heat. Both seemed to melt into the jacket, closing their eyes in heated bliss. Welp. Okay then. Enjoy the heated jacket, you weirdos.

"Thanks, punk!" You gave a blunt shrug.

"T-thank you!" It was no problem. Seeing as how you were warmer than most, you only used your fire magic for when you soaked your clothes in something cold or when you got sick. Both were equally rare. Other fire mages couldn't do this because they would just set the item on fire from their lack of variety. You, however, could install heat into any artifact and make it pleasantly warm using the self-discipline that your mother had installed within your very SOUL. Frisk had motioned for you to come closer, signing to you with multiple hand signs. Toriel apparently took in the fact that you didn't understand ASL and translated it for you.

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you heat up my sweater, please?"

"Sure. It's no problem." You carefully pressed your paws onto Frisk's shoulders, pumping heat into the cold sweater until it puffed out with heat. The kid just sank into that thing happily, pleased with the comforting heat. Toriel looked pleased, too and you would've offered to warm up her tunic. However, she was now carefully holding onto the small child and using them like a miniature hot water bottle. Now that that was out of the way, you had to cross the wooden bridge. The others seemed to have had the same thought, as they all started towards the bridge. It looked sturdy enough. Being the first one at the bridge, you put your right paw forwards, the bridge giving a small squeak of complaint. It was sturdy, and didn't give out on you. You continued to walk forward, paws limp at your sides, peering over into the dark abyss. A sudden deep voice had startled you.

"Wait right there!" Before you could say anything, you put another paw forward, hearing an ear-splitting crunch. The bridge panel underneath you had cracked into tiny pieces, the rest splintering into your paws. You wildly scrambled to grab onto something, anything, being in the middle of the bridge. All that awaited you from below was a bottomless chasm.

"My child! Don't let go! Doggo! Help us!"

"kid!" You'd failed to hold on, the panel falling loose of the rope frame and throwing you off of it. You were rapidly slipping backwards into the abyss, your bulk doing little to stop your descent. Your surroundings grew darker and darker, the shouts of the group falling to utter silence. The cold winds whistled in your ears, your body instinctively turning over, legs facing downwards. Perhaps you could land on your feet…? You fell for what seemed like ages before your body slammed into the sharp rocks at the bottom, slicing through your abdomen like a hot knife. There was another sickening crunch and a loud pop before a searing hot pain ran through your abdomen. You gave a silent scream, coughing up blood in the process. The crimson substance ran down the sides of your mouth pooling at your chin. You couldn't move. Everything was turning black and you let the darkness be, your consciousness slipping away rapidly, and the feeling of your body turning to dust was the last thing you felt...

You were silently floating in the void. Your parents had told you of this place when they were a kit. The stories of how they too, had lost their previous lives. And now, it was your turn. I had just sunk in. You'd just lost your first life. It was more gory and painful than you'd thought it'd be. A wide golden arch of light had appeared in front of you, the numbers 1-9 floating serenely above. A long clock hand was pointing to the number nine. As you continued to stare, the number nine had faded away into the background, a sharp pain fresh in your chest. A bell of sorts had begun to ring in your head as the arrow slowly pointed to the eight. The ringing kept going, lasting for what seemed like hours. It kept ringing, over and over, until it stopped... It was so cold...


	5. Respawning In The Snow

Scrapes And Bruises

A couple of edgy snowflakes danced in the frosty air, landing on your nose, making you sneeze. Your entire body ached, how long you'd been out here in the snow, you hadn't a clue. You dizzily rose to your paws, the faintest trace of blood dancing on your tongue. You dusted the pearly white snow off your beaten sweater and once again, installed heat into it. You were fatigued but not too much that you had to sit down. Everything was blurry but you could just barely make out the shape of a sentry station somewhere around the corner. The tiles next to it were seemingly shades of grey, having already been solved. You remembered something from earlier. Papyrus must've solved this when you and Sans were dragging behind, telling those awful puns.

Sans? Papyrus? That's right. You began to hazily trudge forward, your paws slowly working through the snow. You weren't too far from the wooden bridge, so with luck, you could possibly find your way around it. It was only then that you'd noticed how dark it was out here: A bunch of golden lights shone from the dark, illuminating a large patch of the snowy forest. It was most likely nighttime around here, if not, the very early morning. How long had you been out? You lost your ninth life, but it lasted for a good while. At least, it lasted for a good fourteen years. Here's hoping that your eighth life will, too...

The wooden bridge had came into sight again, the broken panel removed and replaced with a shiny new piece of wood. The chasm still lurked below, awaiting its next victim. You weren't sure if you wanted to chance that deadly fall again but there really was no other way. The abyss cut between the two lands like an enormous river and the wooden bridge was the only way across its hellish front. Unless you wanted to backtrack and walk in the scary woods beneath you, you decided to just steel yourself for the journey.

Taking a deep breath, you padded onto the wooden bridge, one paw in front ot the other ,this time holding onto the ropes at your sides with a death grip. You weren't going to let this chasm take another one of your lives. With slow and steady breaths you continued until you found yourself at the middle panel. You skipped over the murderous wood panel and safely finished the route, eyeing the panel with distaste behind you.

You took a deep icy breath and looked at your surroundings. A large paper sign hung in a patch of blue orchids at the very gate of the village. The words "Welcome To Snowdin" were etched in a crude sort of crayon scribble, the sign flapping in the late icy winds. Bleary golden lights barely illuminated the village, making it look dark and foreboding. Not a single soul was found outside, the majority of the insomniacs hidden away from the night. So this was Snowdin. There were two large wooden buildings that were stationed to your left, these two apparently being the shop and the inn Sans was telling you about. They were connected through a dark alley, that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand. Nope. As you padded through the town, your thoughts had begun to wander as you began to wonder what your acquaintances were doing as of the present.

Had they left your body to be, or were they trying to get down the cliffs? Both were a likely action not to be taken. You continued forward, coming upon a giant decorated tree right in the center of the town. It was wrapped with colorful bulbs and what looked to be tiny ribbons. Apparently, there WERE people out here. What they were doing out so late at night, you could only guess. A pale blue bear monster was excitedly checking the wrapped presents underneath, while a monster child with no arms scampered about, busily attempting to pick the candy canes off with his teeth.

Once again, you lost your shit as you'd bumped into a familiar-looking skeleton. He wasn't in motion which gave you the impression that he'd saw you and stopped, you just not noticing him in time. You made to apologize, stopping in the middle. You recognized the strong scent of ketchup and metal. There was also a faint tang of ozone. That was most definitely Sans that you'd bumped into. You had little time to react, as you felt your legs suddenly give out beneath you. Sturdy and strong arms wrapped around you and kept you up as the two of you had went whipping through an icy void. There was an eerie stream of silence followed by an ear-shattering burst of noise. You'd landed heavily, the force knocking the breath out of you.

"NO! _MY_ SPAGHETTI IS MORE FABULOUS THAN-" And then everything went quiet again. It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Sans had let you go, your paws finding footing in wherever you were. You gave a nervous cough, opening your eyes against the harsh light. You were in a house of sorts.

"My child...?" You turned your head to face where the voice had come from. Oh shit. Toriel was sitting at the table, tears in her eyes with a paw to her muzzle. Undyne had dropped a wooden spoon and was incredulously gazing at you from the kitchen. Papyrus had turned around, leaving his spaghetti unwatched, and Frisk had stopped their conversation with Alphys to look. Alphys had looked up only to drop her glasses ( which didn't shatter ) and stare. You stood nervously on one paw, slowly inching towards the only door in sight, it being your only savior. Sweat started to build up on your forehead. So... what were you gonna tell them?

"Is that really you?"

"I mean, I'm pretty sure that there can only be one me in the universe, so yeah, pretty much. And how are you guys doing on this lovely evening?" You were being a smartass but hey, it gave you something to say. Something to break the awkward tension. Suddenly, strong hands had thrown themselves around you, a small sob echoing in your ears. Sounded like Toriel. The others had followed pursuit, two, no, three more joining in on the hug pile. More and more arms wrapped around you until you had trouble breathing. Each were hugging you in a different way, Papyrus, Toriel, and Frisk, silently weeping, while Sans, Alpys, and Undyne were just calmly silent. They'd released you soon after, to each, a burning curiosity and sadness filled their eyes. You gave a hoarse cough, taking in fresh oxygen once more.

"But! How-"

"Nature. Physics. Witchcraft. Take your pick."

"But-"

"I can give a guess that you all really want to know how I'm _still_ standing so yes, I'll answer your questions while I'm here." Alphys was slightly shaking, holding onto Undyne for support while they all hurriedly found places to sit. Sans had led you to the couch, you sitting down ever so gently and Sans just flopping onto the couch like a retarded whale. Papyrus had ditched his spaghetti, storing it for later, and dragging a wooden chair to sit unbelievably close to you. You could smell the spaghetti and the glitter. It was stifling.

"Where to start? I mean, we could start from the dark carnival or we could start with my tremendous fall..."

"There's no way you survived that fall, kid. Absolutely no way." First up was Undyne, who crossed her arms and glared at you judgingly. You just shrugged at her and crossed your paws.

"Well, you technically are correct. Nobody could survive a fall like that, not even me. So yes, I did perish terribly. It took quite a while, seeing as how it's night time now." You were acting nonchalant about the whole ordeal, distracting yourself by counting how many holes were in your sweater. You already knew the complex system behind losing lives so you were used to knowing death like an old friend.

"So how are you still alive?" Undyne asked, unbelievingly.

"Well technically, I'm still dead. It takes a while to get used to a new life. I just respawned half an hour ago near some sentry stations. I think it was where we met actually." Sharp gasps filled the room. Frisk had suddenly turned pale, and Sans did that weird pupil-disappearance thing. Everybody else just looked shocked. You couldn't care less, seeing as how you came from a family where this kind of stuff was normal.

"Respawned?" Toriel looked severely confused, holding onto Frisk tighter than necessary.

"That's right. I respawned. If you ever heard the myth about cats that have nine lives, then that's somewhat true. Not all cats have them, but I do. My family did. It's a recessive gene that doesn't pass on much, but both of my parents had it, so now I have it. You guys make it sound as if I had just slain the mighty keeper of death or something. It's really not that much of a big deal."

"S-so, you m-mean to say…"

"Yeah.. I didn't survive that fall so I lost a life. I mean, I did reach terminal velocity down there. That cold air did injustice to my face. Did I mention how deep that chasm is? It goes down really far. But yeah. I hit the ground down there and died. After the damage had been weighed, I just respawned again out in the snow. No big deal."

"THAT'S A VERY SCARY THING, MONSTER CHILD! WAS IT SCARY?"

"Not at all. I already knew I was coming back. My parents already taught me about that kind of stuff when I was really tiny. What is there to be afraid of? You know, except for spawning in a dangerous area, that is. But I didn't and that's all I have to say about that."

"You could've given us a heads up, punk! Doggo was flipping out earlier, riling up the dog sentries to come and get you!"

"Really? Where's the fun in that? Besides, I only lost my ninth life , so I still have eight more to go. Plenty more before I reach the end of my time."

"So you can basically just lord over death itself like it's nothing, and you don't find that scary, like, at all?"

"Nope! Like I said. My parents went through this, and I already know how it's supposed to go. I'm don't find that scary at all!" Everybody had suddenly went silent.

"It's really nothing to worry about guys! The only downside is spawning somewhere dangerous and the distinct neverending passing of time. Speaking of which, how long was I gone? Ten hours? It feels like it's midnight!"

"Like five hours!"

"Five hours? That's not a lot. I thought it was the very early morning. So much for being an early riser. "

"Are you serious?! You've been out for five fu-" Sans cut Undyne off with a stern side-eye, quickly correcting her mistake.

"Five freaking hours! You were out for five freaking hours!"

"Wow. What a short amount of time." You'd initially dismissed the thought of time and rose to your paws, readying yourself for the cold weather once again.

"Where are you going in such a hurry, my child?"

"Out." It was true. You couldn't stay here, as warm as it was. You had work to do, caverns to explore, and things to learn.

"Yes, but where?"

"I don't really know but I have some serious work to do, so if you excuse me-"

"You're not excused! Sit back down!" You let out a high pitched screech as Undyne had suddenly trapped you against the wooden wall, her two bulky arms keeping you there against it. She was really close. Way too close. She leaned even closer.

"W-why not?" You stammered. You never stammered unless you were scared, in which you were as of now. Oh god, looks like death will be greeting you soon. So much for your longevity wish.

"You can't just fall in a gorge, die, come back, and expect us to let you disappear into the snow, you dork!" You felt shaken. They actually cared for you and were hesitating to let you go off by yourself. You were old enough to adventure by yourself, dammit!

"Actually, I won't "disappear" Undyne. I'll just be out and about doing stuff in, you know, plain sight."

"Not happening, punk. Now sit back down!" You were trapped again, Papyrus standing to your right and Toriel standing to your left. This was some intense backup, jeez! You considered slipping through their long legs and jumping through the window. Apparently, Frisk and Alphys had had the same idea as they'd taken positions at the legs of the taller .

"Well jeez! It's u-um."

"Nope! You're staying here with us! Papyrus! Ready the spaghetti!" You giggled to yourself despite your situation. That rhymed! Undyne, on the verge of supplexing you into the couch, picks you up roughly and seats you back onto the couch instead, Frisk crawling into your lap to keep you there. Your poker face wasn't working. Abort! Abscond!

"so kid. where are you off to in such a hurry?" To be honest, you didn't know. It's not like you could return to the surface, as it would be just you and about seven billion humans up there. No biggie, right? It was better to stay down here. But where would you be staying at? You could get a room at the inn, but that was only temporary… Oh well. You'd decide later.

However, you could explore the scenes of the Underground in the meantime, but only to take in your immediate surroundings. What truly troubled you was why you were still putting up a secret front. They weren't monster eating cannibals like you'd originally thought they'd be. They were actually pretty kind and selfless now that you thought about it. But… maybe they were only acting nice to the human kid just because it's that: _a kid._ What would they do to a human adult? You slammed on the brakes to that question, locking it away for another day. Hey! That rhymes! You and your subconscious thoughts, sheesh. What that really meant was that you could confess to them. About what you did back in the Ruins and why you did it. Why you were pretending to be somebody that you were not…

However, that would mean putting your pride at stake. You… really didn't want to confess. Perhaps… you could try to keep it from them as long as possible. They didn't HAVE to know, did they? You stiffened at the pathetic looks of pity that you would get if you confessed all of your troubles. Opting for the latter, you decided to keep your mouth shut. You'd just keep quiet until you got settled into the underground, or just not tell them at all. They had no right to know your business.

"Nowhere, really. I'm Just exploring the underground while I still can. Or at least, the parts that I haven't seen yet."

"and you said you got here by..?"

"By the river!" Dear god, you hoped that was a valid excuse.

"i see." If you weren't drenched, you were now. Frisk was clearly paying attention. There was something sinister to this whole thing. You just couldn't put your paw on it. Just a few moments more, and Toriel and Alphys had departed for the kitchen to make sure something didn't burn. Now it was just Sans, Frisk, and you with a dry throat. Frisk had signed something quickly at you, to which Sans translated immediately.

"the kid asks if you've ever been to the Ruins."

"The ruins?" The seemed to scowl deeper at your feigned innocence, thinking to something you couldn't see.

"yeah. the ruins are the first part of the underground, but tori always locks up before leaving anywhere."

"So it's never been opened to the public?"

"it used to be, but now, you can't enter. well, not unless you ask nicely."

"Meh. Guess I'm not going in there then." You remembered the Ruins picture perfectly. How it was always very dark, the multitude of spike puzzles that awaited you around every corner, and how you almost got busted trying to escape. You were never going back there, not even if it cost you your eight lives.

"why not?"

"Sounds strange. And risky." You could feel his pinpricks eyes burning into the side of your head but you didn't dare stare back at him. He was onto you. The whole lot of them. Where were your smooth excuses when you needed them?!

"BACK AWAY FROM THE SPAGHETTI!"

"It's on fire! Make way!"

"Somebody get the fire hydrant!"

"H-how do you even-" You craned your neck to peer into the kitchen, Frisk hopping off of your lap to go check on the others. They immediately came running out, hiding behind the left arm of the couch. Sans had gotten to his feet, about to go see for himself what had happened, but was interrupted as Undyne came flying out of the kitchen, Toriel close behind.

"It's gonna blow!"

"what's gonna-" A loud explosion had sounded from the kitchen, the fire alarms going off above you. The loud shrieks had almost deafened you, your ears much more sensitive than your fellow's. Frisk was cowering behind Toriel's tunic, hugging her calves. Undyne had grabbed a spare blanket off of the couch and had begun to beat it frantically around the smoke detectors.

"THE SPAGHETTI WAS NOT READY. AT ALL." Sans had disappeared into the kitchen, only to come out with Papyrus in tow. He had ash and the remains of severely overcooked spaghetti dribbling from his battle body. Other than that, he was crying orange tears, an orange iris in each socket blazing.

"NYOOHOHOO! THE SPAGHETTI DINNER IS RUINED!" Poor Papyrus. Undyne had successfully turned off the smoke detectors, the ear-piercing screeches coming to a halt. He was sobbing by now… wait, how was that even possible? Never mind. Sans was rubbing circles on his back, a small frown of sadness etched onto his skull. It was either for his injured bro or the decimated kitchen. Most likely his brother.

"Don't worry Papyrus! We can just make more!"

"Um, I'm pretty sure the kitchen is in no state to be cooked in. We'll have to clean it!"

"uh. you don't have to-"

"Yes! I must! It won't take me very long at all!" Toriel had set to work, Papyrus and Undyne in tow. Alphys was rapidly scrambling to open the windows, filtering out the heavy smoke. Frisk had gotten off the couch and had begun to sign something towards Sans. Meanwhile, you just sat on the couch, wondering just what they heck you had gotten yourself into. Suddenly, you had an idea. You could escape this somehow. Thinking powers acti-

"hey kid."

"Hmm?" Sans and Frisk had appeared at your side, Frisk now bundled up in heavy snow gear.

"we're going to Grillbys to replace the burnt food." Sans jabbed a pale phalange towards the scorched kitchen.

"wanna come?"

"Sure, I guess. I don't have anything better to do anyways." You got to your paws, ready to go with the clothes on your back.

"papyrus. we're going to Grillbys. you guys want anything?"

"UGH! GRILLBYS? EH. SURE, JUST NOTHING TO GREASY!"

"you got it bro." The others, who'd been to Grillbys, had listed what they wanted and the three of you had set out the door. What was Grillbys? Sans had mentioned that he'd take you here for bludgers and fires... Or was it burgers and fries? Your mind was still hazy with smoke.


	6. Back To Spaghetti

Insomnia And A Striped Sweater

The blizzard had gotten more intense. It whipped through the racing air, stinging your cheeks. Frisk was deeply huddled in Sans's thick jacket, shielded partially from the cold. You were steadily padding along side them, clad in a thin and ratty sweater with some basketball shorts. It was time like this when you actually felt the cold. Sure, you were still warm. But that wasn't the kind of cold that you felt now. It wasn't the weather that made you feel cold. The silence between you three had given you more than enough time to think. You couldn't keep up your facade for long. They didn't even ask about your parents, and why they weren't searching for you. You could just tell them the truth, but…

You were just afraid to unearth it too soon. It wouldn't hurt to expose yourself, but then the questions would come and that would make things more awkward than necessary. If they knew about your special mutation, you could kiss your sweet existence goodbye. You couldn't live without the other, not without suffering the major consequences. You didn't want to spit up all of your physical matter, no matter the situation. It'd be a terrible task, as of course, you'd be coughing up your own organs. Acid, food, bile, and everything else that belonged in a human body. Wait. Ugh. Stop that mind, you're not supposed to do this to me. Quit it.

Not to mention, it'd be useless as you're a positive negative. YOU were always useless. You couldn't do anything for the monsters! Absolutely nothing! Why were they being so friendly? So… nice to you? It was a real culture shock, the humans being so bloodthirsty and invasive, and yet, the monsters were so friendly and understanding. You'd never understood humanity very much, their priorities being way out of whack. It was much better down here than the surface could ever be. You could at least try to help them out, what with your vast knowledge about the current human era. But then again, Frisk had probably supplied them with that long ago. Or not... Why were you even here again? Because your parents' will? They'd wanted you to head here straight after they'd died, but look at the mess you'd made for yourself! There was no point to it now, but you had obeyed their death wish. Silence was your best friend but it was that time of which the dark thoughts that you normally pushed to the back of your head, came lurking. They casted an ominous shadow over your reasoning, bringing up painful memories that you'd rather leave alone.

"we're here." You barely heard him. What were you gonna say when the time came? 'Yes, I'm a monster child from the surface with two useless souls, and I have no idea why I still exist.' Perfect. Just… Perfect. You inwardly sighed to yourself, following the two into a building. Funny, seeing as how these two no longer felt like your friends anymore. Every memory of friendliness that you'd had for these people had vanished, leaving you with an acidic taste on your tongue. You felt numb again.

The warmth from inside had hit you like how you hit the bottom of the gorge. Yikes, that was uncalled for ,brain. There were multitudes of monsters, each sitting at a table or booth. However, as soon as Sans had walked in, they whipped their heads around to greet him cheerfully.

"SANS!"

"Heya, Sansy!"

"Woof!" Sans had grinned a little wider and waved to his fellow patrons, heading straight for the polished wooden bar with Frisk heading over to a table full of… dogs? One dog in particular was staring straight at you. He wore a short black tank top and leopard tights. Thick white fur covered majority of his body. He sat suspiciously at the end of a small poker table, a pink dog biscuit gently wafting in the air next to him. You mustard up the courage to. To. Dammit! You angrily locked gazes with the masked dog to your left, the dog indulgently staring back. A staring contest had soon emerged and you refused to look away, a low growl rising in your throat. His stare was hard and steely, yours, piercing and as intimidating as you could make it to be. He was sweating. You'd then realized something: This was the dog who'd surprised you earlier.

"you two…. uh." Sans was just out of your peripheral vision, the smell of cooked meat wafting throughout the parlor. You could tell that he wanted to look away but you were NOT going to loosen up to this guy! You stared at the dog harder, your amber eyes burning holes into his brown ones. He returned the favor, both of you locked in a hungry battle for glory.

"uh. you two can stop staring at each other."

"Pff. This little lady engaged the battle. She started it. I'll finish it." The monster, Doggo, you remembered, had risen to his feet, a high-pitched growl reverberating around the table. The other dogs had looked on in curiosity, some of them cheering along Doggo.

"Who you callin' little? You're the one that stared at me first."

"Nuh uh!"

"Yeah huh!"

"I did not!"

"Yes! You did!" You were still in the violent staring contest. Your eyes were starting to burn, a few pricks of tears gathering at the corner of your eyes. Thankfully, one of the patrons had flipped a table in rage, causing the dog to look away for a split second. As soon as Doggo had looked away, you'd blinked in relief.

"Hah hah! You looked away!"

"You did that on purpose!"

"I wasn't the one who flipped a table hotshot."

"But-"

"Accept your defeat." The dog had crossed his arms, grumbling something, but had then placed something shiny on the table. He then grumpily slid it across the velvety surface over towards you.

"Here."

"Wait. What?"

"I said HERE. Take it. You won the staring contest. Now take your prize and get out."

"Um. I didn't-"

"Just take it." The dog eyed you as you slowly took the coin off the table. Ten G. Pretty decent.

"Um. Thank you."

"No need. Now get outta here little lady." With that, Sans who'd been waiting for you, had grabbed your right elbow sleeve, Frisk grabbing your left. The two had dragged you out of the bar and back into the blizzard. You were still comprehending what had just happened when the duo had roughly brought you back to reality.

"what the heck was that?"

"A staring contest..."

"yeah but why?" You immediately raised your paws in front of you in a defensive gesture.

"Hey, he started it."

"really now?"

"I felt him staring at me as _soon_ as we walked in. Staring is rude ya' know." That was the truth but you'd won! Sweet victory, no matter the case. You shortly noticed the large paper bag that Sans was carrying. It was sealed shut, as to prevent the heat from escaping. You shut your mouth, already content with your victory, and perhaps with the food. But what was with the coin? You didn't bet anything against Doggo. You'd merely just engaged him in a staring contest. The whole table thing WAS really convenient as you were about to close your eyes, the pain, too much. Who'd flipped the table anyway? The coin jingled in your pocket, clinking with every step you took. It was silent the entire way back to the cabin. You felt hot eyes on your chest the entire way back. It wasn't Sans, as he was busy in Sans Land, off in his own thoughts. It wasn't the kid, as they'd let go of their elbow and had skipped ahead towards the house. You turned your head to look behind you, nervously anticipating your stalker to show themselves. The lights of the shops were starting to dim, meaning that it was the actual closing time in Snowdin. You turned your head to face forward, continuing on towards the house. The silence around you was slowly taking its toll. The shadows of the pine trees were starting to look a lot more creepier. Somebody or something could be hiding in those deep shadows.

You were scared of the dark ever since you were a young kit. Everybody was at one point in their lives. But to you, it wasn't the darkness itself but more precisely, what was in it. What was lurking it its depths, waiting for you to turn a blind eye. To fall victim to its gaze, never to return again. You slept a lot as a kid but after following the incident, you never fully slept. A few catnaps here and there, but that was all. Ignore the pun, please. Every time you fell asleep longer than necessary, you went there. To the incident. To the burning house and the taste of blood. To the laughter of those horrible humans and the smell of burning flesh. To the darkness of the basement. To the routine beatings and the cries of the pleading children. Your sweater had hid most of your scars, some of them being fresh. You didn't like to think of them at times, using any excuse possible as to cover them up. The old cuts ripping across your back reminded you of you of those recent times. The ones will the screwdriver and the splintered piece of wood. You'd used magic once. In a mad dash for freedom, you'd tried to burn down the mahogany door that kept you from leaving. That was a big mistake. You remembered being in a coma for a five solid months, your masters never saying what they did with your body during that time.

The time flies fast when all you do is think and sleep all day. You remembered the painful bruises that littered your body and never seemed to go away. You remembered the blood that imitates the color of your sweater, and how it dripped serenely from your veins. You remembered the cruel words which sliced into your head and made you the way you are. Hostile. Suspicious. Anxious. You couldn't be by yourself without wondering what was around the corner. Would it be friend or foe? You wanted to escape. Without your parents, everything was new to you. You had nobody to walk you through things, everything coming as one humongous baby step into a volcano.

Despite your enthusiasm for new things, with each step, it felt as if you were sinking further into a deep hole that you couldn't get out of. The sweater that you wore, which was shoddy and badly made by your mother, held everything that you were.

It knew your late night tears after the humans had done what they wanted with you. It held the blood of the human whose arm you;d tore off during your breakdown. It held the memories of the dark and the sounds of the tortured children. It held your few dreams which were always tainted by the darkness. And yet, you kept it on you. It was one of the only things that the fire didn't burn, your shorts being the other. It was nostalgia for the old days. You were warm on the outside. But on the inside, you were cold. You were an icy tundra, your mind colder than the blizzard raging around you, a dense permafrost layer that could never be broken. But the darkness never lasts long when you're busy.

The warmth of the wooden cabin had filled you with something that you couldn't place you claw on but the feeling didn't last long. Was it love? No. You didn't feel love for anybody but your parents.

"we're here." Time flew by extremely fast, the three of you leaving the frightful blizzard outside as you settled down. You gradually accepted the food, which did have meat by the way. It was decent, but the wild game on the surface had a tang that this burger just couldn't match. It reminded you of home in the most painful way possible. When Papyrus had suggested a sleep over, you gagged at the idea, seeing as how you just wanted to be by yourself. But the knowing glares of the others had put your plans of escape at rest.

It had taken quite a while. Everybody had fallen asleep at a different time. You however, were still awake. You couldn't sleep. You didn't need to after all. Those burgers and fries had been your first meal in a week and a half. You were really malnourished but you never really felt the hunger. Maybe that's why Undyne had joked about you being so light earlier...You never felt physically tired. Not from running. Not from walking through a blizzard. Nothing. Your father had told you to buck up when you were exhausted. Some were more misfortune than us, and complaining would be a cowardly thing to do.

The quiet snores of your friends filled the dark room, which was only illuminated by a cracked tv playing the same movie over and over again. The catchy tune was starting to drill itself into your ears. You were reluctant to call them friends. They were friendly and all, but why were they so insistent on keeping you here? Because you were a child, or because you're a monster? Perhaps it was because you fell to your death earlier? Both were very likely. And yet you laid awake on your thin blanket, your dark amber eyes glazed with something that you hadn't felt in awhile: love. The platonic kind of course. The silence had decided to creep back in, taking you back to a memory that you'd rather forget. The earliest memory that you could remember.

It held no significance, the overly-large textbook that laid open, its nine hundred and seventy-two pages filled with something that you'd never see. You'd stayed out one night, hoping to see the stars in their prime. You would go out in the open and gaze at the stars, but your parents would know of your outing. You sunk your small claws into the bark of a pine tree, the sap clinging weakly to your form. It was late autumn, the needles still there. Colorful leaves coated the forest floor, each of them dead and gone. A chilly gust of wind blew through your long white nightshirt, ruffling it gently. You continued on your journey up the tree, hauling yourself up into the freezing canopy. Your parents would find you soon but you were well with your rules. You could take their punishments.

"Hazel! I know you're up there! What are you doing, you silly kit?" That sickly-sweet voice could only belong to your mother. She stood at the base of the tree, her golden hair fluffed out in luscious curls. Your father was close behind, his amber eyes peering angrily up at you.

"Kid, you're gonna fall and hurt yourself." He crossed his arms in annoyance.

"No I'm not! I'm just trying to see the stars!"

"Hold on." With that, the tree had shook gently and your parents were at your side. They liked the stars too, but they wouldn't openly admit it. It was actually rare, seeing them get along like this. The two absolutely loathed each other, so you HAD to act as their mediator, keeping them from truly killing each other. You'd know idea why they got together. But that was the way that things were in your life. Everything was so confusing.

"Sorry kid, but that's not possible. You wasted your time comin' up here ya' little weirdo." Your mother had gently ruffled your hair, purposefully cuffing your ears in the process.

"What do you mean by that?" You'd attempted to fix your hair back to normal, a large gust of icy wind blowing it away from your face.

"Well… look for yourself, kid. We won't see the stars. It's too bright." Your dad had pulled back the rest of the canopy leaves, the three of you peering up at the night sky. What he said was true. No matter how hard you squinted, it was just a dark blue canvas with one lonesome star somewhere on the horizon. You pouted, your tail drooping against the trunk of the tree. There were barely any stars to see. You knew there was more to it, but you just couldn't understand.

"But… why?" You were beside yourself with muddled sadness, your plan failing to work. You'd been planning this for days now, only for the experience to be just short of a really bad time.

"Well, kid. Humans fear the dark more than we do. They produce more light than is needed. The light blocks out the natural light from the stars, making it harder to see them." His voice was gentle as it always was when he was teaching you something. You grumbled angrily.

"Then why can't we tell them to knock it off! Don't they want to see the stars, too? I wish I could." Your mother looked towards the stars, a troubled expression in her dark blue eyes. They glowed with the light of the waning moon, a sad look inside them.

"They just don't, kid. They don't value what they have as much as we do. We're the lucky ones. You can still see the bright ones, right? They're trying extra hard to light up the sky. You gotta' appreciate their effort, kid cause' you won't realize how cool they are until they disappear." You did. You really and truly did appreciate that star's effort of lighting up the night sky. You wondered if the monsters from the mountain missed the stars. They'd probably be disappointed...

"Welp. Time to hit the hay."

"Yeah! Get your butt to bed short-stack!" Your father had you around the middle, and slid gently down the tree, your mother leaping off into the fray. He was very warm just like you. You gave a tired yawn, a dull squeak coming out instead. Whenever there was something that troubled you, he would cradle you slowly in his arms and give you and why and how of the problem. You loved your parents so dearly. Perhaps that was what your mother had meant. _To appreciate what you have_. You slowly fell asleep in your dad's arms, dreaming of the infinite stars and the various galaxies that you saw in your father's textbook somewhere...

You slowly drifted back into reality, your amber eyes adjusting to the darkness of the wooden cabin. Everybody was still in the living room, the snores much louder than before. You tried to think of something, anything, to take your mind away from the darkness that stained your thoughts. The books that you read during the seasons, coming back to take you away. Thoughts of dragons soaring in the clouds, dungeons unexplored, treasure to be found. Your mind always tended to wander. You thought of the ocean, the mountains, the earth. You thought of the solar system, galaxies, comets, asteroids, and the sun. You thought of black holes, white dwarfs, the universe… Your brain had begun to hurt.

It was stifling underneath this blanket but you didn't move it. You continued to stare at the ceiling, not noticing the early rays of dawn showing through the busted blinds. You knew it wasn't REAL sunlight. Just artificial light. You didn't move a muscle, that is, not until Papyrus began to stir. You flopped onto your right side immediately, your left paw sliding underneath the pillow, the right softly nestled against your cheek. You didn't notice the stray tears slip down your cheeks as you pressed your muzzle into your pillow. You feigned sleep, hoping that the next day would bring much more luck than the previous. You hadn't slept in three days… Perhaps you could break your record with four...


	7. Leaving The Skeleton In The Snow

True Love And An Arsenal Of Snow

Papyrus had bought into your fake sleep, making sure that you were still there, before heading into the kitchen. He then began to noisily clatter about, the clang of clashing pots making you wince. If there was one thing that you couldn't stand, it was things like this. When your parents would sleep, you'd try to be as quiet as possible when you moved around the house. It irritated the living shit out of you when people knew you were sleeping but insisted on making as much noise as possible. Still, you slept on, or at least tried, covering your head with a blanket. Damn this thinness! You were still warm despite the blankets lack of layers. After all, you were a walking bag if fur, right?

You heard a groan of protest before a tall figure had shuffled past your paws and into the kitchen. The aquamarine fins had given it away. It was Undyne.

"Papyrus... What are you doing up so early?" She sounded exhausted and slightly irritated. Perhaps she had the same sleeping problem as you.

"Making spaghetti pancakes." What were those? You still didn't know what spaghetti was, nor what pancakes are. You'd probably just find out later. There was a quick shuffle of feet. Undyne peered out of the archway, peering at your serene sleeping forms, stopping to rest on your own. You had mastered faking sleep, your chest slowly rising and falling, eyes gently shut, and your mouth straight. She made a quiet grunt of satisfaction before going back into the kitchen.

"Oh hell yes, nerd. Turn up the heat! We'll surprise them with so much spaghetti and they'll love it so much, that they'll beg for more." You heard a deep chuckle which sent chills down your spine. Whatever spaghetti pancakes were, they now sounded sinister and something that you definitely shouldn't consume.

The two continued to meander around the kitchen, grabbing random ingredients and vegetables and roughly slamming them down onto the table. This was where you truly rethought your actions. Why didn't you just escape why they were all sleeping?! Wait… Dude… What the heck.

Papyrus had leaped over the granite kitchen island, slamming a tall pot onto the stove. A giant wave of tepid water sloshed out of the pot and onto the kitchen floor. That was dangerous. Undyne had ripped open a wooden cupboard drawer and pulled out the spaghetti noodles, ripping the top off the box off and dunking the things in the pot, including the box. Papyrus began fiddling with the knobs, turning the heat to the highest setting imaginable. Was it just you, or are you getting too hot? Undyne went back to the vegetables, eyeing them with a murderous smile. She then punched the vegetables at full force, the majority making a loud splattering sound as they made contact with the walls. Some were severely beaten and some had rolled onto the floor.

Grabbing a spare bowl, Undyne roughly scraped the sauce off of the walls, opening a loud container of sparkling red glitter and dumping the entire worth of contents in there. That was REALLY unsafe. Throwing the bottle elsewhere, she began mixing the crude substance, adding in some other ingredients such as milk, a couple eggs, more glitter, industrial paint..? The contents soon became thick and clumpy as she poured it into another pot.

Papyrus on the other hand, was having just as much fun, adding in some felt pipe cleaners and cotton balls to the mix. Undyne began to tip the two together created a deformed spaghetti and glitter baby brought from the bowels of hell. Damn Satan. You outdid yourself today. The two then brought out a bag, the mix inside belonging to that of a pancake. A pancake that was about to be violently raped. Undyne ripped the huge bag open, making the mix inside go flying everywhere. It coated the walls, the ceiling, their faces, and the floor. it was a total mess in there. They added way more than necessary using almost half the bag. Undyne then speared the bag against the wall, the bag leaking continuously onto the floor. Papyrus had left his spaghetti attended by Undyne, who had begun to stir viciously with a mini spear, denting and gouging the poor pot. The contents sprayed out of the pot, tendrils of black smoke swirling in the air. Papyrus came back with a giant bowl of water, pouring the entire bowl in and hastily mixing getting the shit ALL over the floor. Undyne readied a saucepan and had poured a heap of cooking oil into it, turning the eye to a blazing heat.

Wasting no time, Papyrus grabbed a large measuring cup from the other cupboard and scooped a heap of the mixture out of the bowl and into the pan. It sizzled and crackled with heat making you wonder if escaping was well worth it. It most definitely was. They kept adding in heaps of the mixture, the house beginning to smell like something burning with a hint of sewage to it.

You covered your nose, the smell making your eyes water. It burned the shit out of nostrils, causing you to cough and wheeze. But they couldn't hear you because the sizzling was much too loud.

The sizzling stopped long after and the smell was even more atrocious than before when they were done. The two noisily banged the pots and pans in the kitchen, Undyne hurriedly setting up the table. You began to get up, dread pooling in the pit of your stomach. The others had awoken to the smell now, hesitating on getting up to see what the rush was all about. You rubbed your eyes, and yawned, Frisk yawning silently.

"Mornin' punks! Who's ready for some spaghetti pancakes?!" She screeched like a banshee as she ran back into the kitchen only to come back out with what looked like a big ol' pile of nope. The others seemed to have the same idea, as Toriel gave a small frown of disapproval, while Frisk had the expression of "what the fuck is this shit?!" Sans took one look at it and vanished upstairs, while Alphys looked terrified. Regardless, they all got up, ever so slowly making their way to the set table. Papyrus had hurriedly traipsed upstairs to fetch Sans. Heh. Sans looked as though he'd rather eat his jacket than those pancaked. Frisk had made hurried signs towards you, thick beads of sweat rolling down their cheeks. Or were they tears..? If Frisk was scared, then so were you. You sat in the middle of the oak table, Sans to your left and Frisk to your right. Toriel sat directly across from you, eyeing the pancakes as if they'd dishonored her family. Alphys was more than shaking, her claws grasping the table in fear of the food in front of her. Papyrus had sat at one end of the table, next to Sans, while Undyne had taken the other end, next to Frisk. There was only one chair left, that one being a chair next to Toriel. This was so weird.

You slowly eyed your food with a cautious gaze. They were very lumpy and discolored, a few bits of pipe cleaner and glitter oozing out the sides of the pancakes. It smelled absolutely atrocious and it fell apart immediately when you tried to pick it up with your paws. You didn't know if you could stomach this or not, turning to look at the others who had the same expression on their faces. Papyrus was clearly waiting for someone to dig in,pleading puppy dog sockets gazing around the table in hopefulness. Welp. Guess you had to make the first move.

You firmly grasped one of the pancakes by the sides, and I do mean the entire pancake. Each were three times bigger than your own paw. With one last gulp of precious air, you swallowed and shoved it in your mouth. You visibly gagged but pulled off a big grin, giving Papyrus a double thumbs up. You were sweating now, as you had to swallow it. Oh dear god. You forced your paws to dig in underneath the table surface, forcing the bolus down your throat. You gave a dry heave, going to pick up another pancake. Your stomach was heaving with nausea, desperately trying to force the food back up. 'Abort the mission! Abort the goddamn mission! It's too much!' And yet, you fearfully held onto the table, forcing yourself to swallow the terrible tasting pancake. In mid swallow, it suddenly went cold making you gag again, your stomach clearly fighting against you. 'No! We must finish the pancake! And the next one! Stay strong, stomach! Stay strong!' You beat your paw against your throat, swallowing the pancake with hidden disgust. Your stomach had clearly disagreed as it began to rumble loudly, protesting against your abuse. The others who still hadn't touched theirs were giving you heavy looks of sympathy. You didn't dare gaze back, your eyes closed in concentration. You powered on through the stack, stomaching the next one, and the last one before your stomach entirely gave up. You'd cleaned your plate, leaving nothing behind. You were most definitely going to throw that up later. The pipe cleaners were a guarantee. You could still feel them scratching at your throat.

"OH GOODY! DID YOU ENJOY MY SPAGHETTI PANCAKES THAT MUCH, MONSTER CHILD?" Oh, dear sweet Papyrus… You nodded your head viciously in answer, your claws still hooked into the table. Papyrus, who'd already finished his, took your plates into the kitchen to be cleaned. As soon as he'd left, your stomach couldn't hold out anymore. Your head collided roughly with the table, a dull thud sounding throughout the living room. Your head was throbbing, your stomach was pulsing, and you were gasping for air. You felt extremely dizzy, your throat beginning to dry heave again with the effort of keeping those pancakes down. NEVER. **NEVER AGAIN WOULD YOU STICK AROUND FOR THE DUO'S COOKING.**

"Are you okay my child? You don't look too well..." Toriel couldn't see just how much pain you were in right now. Even Undyne chipped in. She knew just how bad she was at cooking.

"I'm *hic* just dandy. Just *wheeze* give me a sec." You felt as if you were slowly dying, holding the ripped white tablecloth for dear life. You felt a sturdy arm pat your pack, gentle and soothing. You almost threw up then and there.

"we know how ,uh, bad it is but thanks for taking the first step. we certainly didn't want to." You didn't reply as your headache got worse. Everybody who'd seen your act of consuming the inedible pancakes had made sure that Papyrus wasn't looking before going outside and burying their portions in the snow. DEEP in the snow, so that'd he never know. No one would ever know. Heh. That rhymed. You got dizzily onto your paws, holding the table for support. The others who'd done the terrible deed had arrived back inside, closing the door, and taking their now empty plates back into the kitchen. Toriel had slowly come up to you, picking you up and setting you down gently on the couch. She had given you a gentle smile before going back into the kitchen to help Papyrus with the dishes.

As you lay on the lumpy couch, a familiar weight made itself known on your lap. You look down at the small child in your lap, a small skeleton eyeing you all the same from the other end of the couch.

"thanks for tolerating my bro's cooking. i know he's not the best but he gives it his all." You couldn't bring yourself to hurt Papyrus's feelings. You looked back at the skeleton, shrugging at an attempt to agree. Your stomach grumbled loudly, the contents trying to come back down again. You made an effort to keep it down, your determination being heavily tested today.

"the bathroom's upstairs if you need it." You carefully eyed your decisions, the bathroom door upstairs being ever so tempting. You shook your head, the bathroom door swinging as to suggest that you rethink your actions. Not today, Satan. You just sat glumly, holding your stomach. Frisk was giving you supportive pats on the arm while Sans just eyed you slowly, not shaking eye contact with you as he downed a bottle of… ketchup. Welp. At seeing this, you couldn't help yourself. You had to keep a hand over your mouth to keep from spitting up your breakfast. You gave a random snort, the action totally uncalled for. You glared at him one last time before going upstairs to the bathroom.

As you returned, Sans had eyed you mirthfully, Frisk taking up their place in your lap as you sat back down.

"What was that for? I nearly spit some pipe cleaners onto your carpet!"

"what? don't _patella_ me that you've never seen a person drink ketchup before." Dammit Sans. You gave a sudden snort, covering your muzzle with your paw. What was with him and these terrible puns? You continued to laugh, your body shaking with hoarse laughter.

"did i tickle your _funny-bone_?"

"Sans! Stop that before I make you stop!" You just kept on laughing, Frisk clearly unamused by the punnery of the small skeleton. They glared at Sans, turning their nose up at his puns.

"but i know for sure that you found it _humerus_." You were apparently laughing so loudly that the others had come to investigate.

"SANS! STOP BERATING THE MONSTER CHILD WITH YOUR SILLY PUNS!" Papyrus looked mildly irritated, his bone brows furrowed in dismay. How does one have bone brows?

"come on, bro, i was just-"

"SANS-"

" _ribbing_ them."

"NYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!" There went the table, flying across the living room and clattering loudly on the floor. You started hacking, the strain on your throat worsening from laughing so hard. Papyrus had stopped screeching, coming over to check on you.

"NYEH? ARE YOU OKAY, MONSTER CHILD?"

"I'm *choking sounds* okay!" Undyne had begun to laugh along with you, Toriel giggling madly in the corner. The laughter ensued for a good long time, each having their own fun with the morning's events. It was when Toriel had laid a hand on your shoulder that you stopped giggling. Her eyes were sad and melancholic, a knowing look glazing over her ruby red eyes. You knew what she was hinting at. Your departure.

"Welp. The horizon calls and I must follow it! I must leave you, my friends! No, but seriously. I need to go home. My parents are probably freaking out." You shed a fake tear, Papyrus hastily getting to his feet and coming over to tower at your side.

"LEAVING?" Everybody stopped,the silence now rapidly gaining volume. You chuckled nervously, getting to your paws in the process.

"Yeah. Though the parting hurts, you'll see me around. Well, maybe if they let me come back here."

"YOU PROMISE TO COME AND VISIT?"

"I absolutely positively promise to come and visit." You all slowly made your way out the house, ignoring the strange lump of discolored snow hidden under the porch steps.

"See you around, punk."

"See you, my child."

"C-come back soon!"

"see ya later, kid." You'd waved a small goodbye, setting off across the snow towards the path away from Snowdin. Suddenly, something cold and soft had hit the back of your head. It stung a little.

"What the-" You turned your head only to get hit again, straight in the face this time. You wiped the cold snow off, barely catching the tiny figure that barreled into your side and clutched onto your paws. It was Frisk. They looked to be on the verge of tears, attempting to hold on to the sides of your beaten sweater. They signed something in tears, clearly needing you to pay attention.

"Oh heck yeah! Prepare yourself punk! It's time-" (Yu-Gi-Oh theme kicks in)

"-for a snowball fight!" A spare snowball had just barely missed your cheek. You wasted no time in dislodging Frisk from your sweater, kicking up snow in your wake as you fought to take cover. As you left, you just barely managed to see Frisk get nailed in the head with a snowball. However, they had just gotten back up, running back into the fray with two snowballs at the ready.

"NYEHEHE!" Snowballs were everywhere, flying in every direction as you dodged and weaved through the sea of whizzing cold projectiles. It had turned into an all out free-for-all. You'd spotted Undyne who was after Papyrus. Hehehehe. Revenge was sweet. Stealthily sneaking up to her, you dumped a whole pawful of snow down her shirt. Note to self: Undyne screams like a little girl. She squealed and tried to retaliate, but you were already halfway across the snowy field, a giant snowball at the ready. A flash of blue had suddenly appeared in your vision. Heh. Your next target. Despite his bulky appearance, the skeleton could really move. Sans had literally knocked Toriel off of her feet with a snowball. She fell with a hilarious screech, her legs kicking to free herself. Now was your chance. You locked your aim onto him and lobbed a huge snowball at the small skeleton. It arched perfectly in the frosty air, catching the artificial light on its surface, and soared right into Sans's right eye socket. Everything suddenly stopped. You had the audacity to comment.

"Score! Five. Points." You said, in an announcer's voice, your arms sticking straight up in the air like a goal. You accepted the sweet silence, diving behind the lumps of snow in your mad rush for cover. As soon as you began to build up a pile of ammo, a loud crunch had ripped through the air.

"Holy fuck."

"NYEH?"

"O-Oh golly."

"Run my child! Run for your life!" You didn't dare peek out behind your snow fort, dashing from behind your snow fort, and indeed, running for your life from the cyan blur that was chasing you. You didn't turn back as you ran, the footsteps behind you growing louder and louder. Whoever it was was hauling ass.

"Get em'! Get em'!" Undyne. Your cheers are NOT helping. Your traction on the snow was slipping, your paw pads numb from the snow. He was catching up quickly, his footsteps getting louder and louder. Fuck. You scrambled to get a foothold in the snow, your breath coming in rapid pants. Your heartbeat was so fast, that it felt like it would leap out of your chest at any minute.

"YOU'RE SO CLOSE! DEFEAT THE MONSTER CHILD AND CLAIM VICTORY SANS!" Welp. Sans was so fucking close to you. You could hear him breathing a pace or two away. Hard. And then you lost... You'd suddenly tripped on a stray rock, your feet flying out from beneath you sending you face-first into the snow. You skidded a couple of feet on the ice, rolling over in defeat. Damn, it was cold.

"NGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! GET HER! GET HER!" A chorus of screams and shouts only egged Sans on as his revenge was about to be icy fucking cold. You thrashed about in the snow, desperately trying to get up, but it was much too late. Within seconds, thousands of snowballs had begun to pelt your form, striking everywhere but the mouth. Your entire body was consumed by the snow, you surrendering to the might of Sans and his many snowball-throwing arms. But Jesus Christ, he could've at least spared your sweater. Your clothes were absolutely drenched, the snow not doing much to conserve your body heat. He could've let you out by now. But he didn't. Scrambling to find a foothold in the snow, you attempted to squirm the rest of the way out, trying to wipe the massive hills of snow off of your body. You finally arrived at the summit, spitting snow out of your mouth. The group was now screaming with delight, Sans in the middle shooting you a playful glare.

" _ice_ see you're pretty stuck in there, huh kid?" No shit, Sherlock. You decided against flipping him the bird, instead trying once more to remove yourself from your icy prison.

"woah! _chill_ out kid. i'll let you out, only on one condition." You glared at the smaller skeleton, turning your head away to refuse. You attempted to melt the snow with your fire magic. What the- Whatever magic this guy had was protecting the snow from your fiery wrath.

"THE MONSTER CHILD HAS BEEN RENDERED HELPLESS!" Papyrus and Undyne were giving whoops and hollers, clearly not giving two fucks about your situation.

"you must declare your loss, and include a pun. no exceptions."

"YOU WOULDN'T DARE!" Papyrus had stopped and looked between the two of you. Sigh. Dammit Sans.

"Ahem." Sans locked his eyes onto you, a shit-eating grin playing on his skull.

"This loss wounds my soul, **snow** joke. I declare my loss to you, Sans, even though you probably find this situation to be **humerus**. I hope you can forgive and forget as I don't wanna be given the **cold** shoulder. I'll have to be more **carpal** next time we have a snowball fight, and **ulna** most definitely accept this loss. This time. Now can you free me out of this prison, you **bone-head**?" Toriel and Sans's expressions were priceless. Papyrus looked ready to blow a gasket. Frisk had the most loathing scowl on their face, and so did Undyne. Alphys just stood outside the arena, a poker face fixed on their snout.

"No more puns! Please!" Undyne had groaned, chucking a spare snowball at your ears.

"You **cod** it, **bass.** " Tibia honest, you were getting pretty good at these. Unintentional puns were always the best. The snow had quickly dispersed around you, freeing you of your snowy prison. You put your paws in your sweater, heating up the garment and filling it with warmth. There was nothing left to do here now. You had to go 'home'. Without a word, you'd left the group without saying anything, quickly fading into the shadows of the woods.

"kit? where'd you go?" You heard them call for you but you continued into the woods. It was kind of fun while it lasted, but you had some serious work to do. Where were you gonna go now that you were free? You weren't gonna stay with the group any longer, being the independent kit that you've always been. The lights from town were starting to flicker on, a sign of the starting day rapidly approaching. Fast footsteps tried to follow in your direction, hurrying to catch up but stopping short near a clump of ivy.

"Where'd you go, you little punk?!" Maybe you'd visit after a while. After you sought out your thoughts and what you should do. You were entirely by yourself now and getting your shit together was your top priority as of the moment. You left the small city of Snowdin behind, stopping to pick up some paper at the shop before hurrying over the wooden bridge. Flecks of snow danced in the early rays of dawn. You were going to need that paper really soon. It was old, dry, thick, and perfect for writing on. You were going to map the entire Underground.

Along the way to the start of Snowdin, you'd encountered monsters, each which challenged you to small spars. You won each easily, taking care not to injure the monsters too badly. In return, some had given you the small golden coins much like the one that Doggo had given you at Grillbys. You soon discovered that it was gold, the common currency for monsters. You kept the money in your sweater pocket, eager to save what you had.

It was around sunrise that you found yourself back at the Ruins door. You weren't going to go in, no. Not yet. You had better things to do than risk it again. You turned around, paper and pen at the ready. You were going to take a quick break and then go in. You needed to know your surroundings better. And what better way than to document them yourself. It would keep you busy and would help keep your thoughts at bay. Something to do, at least. You set off the way you came, the fresh snow crunching underneath your paws as you went. You easily blended into the shadows of the forest, your thin sweater flapping in the wind. A small child had watched you go, a small smile hidden behind their hand, as they left. With a small giggle, they eagerly tailed you, their footfalls unheard to your sensitive ears.

It wasn't like they didn't care as Undyne had voted to just let you be. You'd randomly disappeared during their snowball fight earlier. It was the late afternoon now, and nobody had seen a hide nor hair of you, except for the shopkeepers. Toriel and Frisk had gone back towards the Ruins, deciding to settle down for the day. Undyne and Alphys had gone off for some 'alone time' while Papyrus was recalibrating his puzzles in the woods. Sans had sat blearily on the couch, his astrophysics textbook settled comfortably in his lab. A pair of reading glasses had been taped to the sides of his skull, the house quiet and eerie. Papyrus would normally be back by now.

However, there was one thing that kept bothering him. He pushed away his textbook, beginning to stare off into space. He found his thoughts coming back to the incident of the other day. On the outside, you appeared to be a normal monster. You had heat magic, or so he thought, that kept you heated in the merciless chill of Snowdin. You had parents that were waiting for your return in the capital, probably going bananas over your disappearance. You didn't appear to be hostile towards Frisk but… he'd noticed something strange about you from the moment that he'd caught you looking in on Pap's sentry station.

There had been a murderous gleam in your eyes when you'd laid eyes on Frisk for the first time. Nobody else had noticed that your claws had immediately unsheathed themselves. Not even you. Even after Frisk had introduced themselves, you had looked down at them with an extremely hostile glare. You didn't glare at any of the monsters, but just to Frisk. It was normal for some monsters to feel hostile towards humans, what with their infamous history, but there was something in your hostile glare that sent shivers down his spine. He suddenly didn't want to leave Frisk with you EVER.

Another thing was that he couldn't see your SOUL. He kept sensing that something was there. Something that emitted a VERY strong signal wherever you went. Toriel and Undyne had both sensed it, and despite his wishes, the two of them had asked him to check you. But he just couldn't. Whenever he tried, there was just an empty void inside, no SOUL to be seen. But you weren't soulless. You'd humored them, eaten Pap's spaghetti pancakes, and proved yourself to be a completely normal monster. There were some flaws here and there, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Sans had ripped the glasses off of his skull, closing his textbook and setting it on the table beside him. Papyrus would be home anytime now. With a small sigh, Sans had used a small shortcut, appearing shortly on the highest summit in Snowdin. He could see the entire cavern of Snowdin underneath him, the lights on the ceiling slowly beginning to dim. He gazed out over the trees, spotting a small flash of light brown weaving through the trees. Were you still in Snowdin? You were pretty close to the Ruins, making your way towards them actually. It would be a few more hours before nightfall came. Sans would investigate…

You'd taken an hour to rest, a few monsters coming to spar with you while you took in your surroundings. You would map the Ruins first, and then take care of Snowdin later. After your short bout of resting, you'd gathered your stuff and walked back towards the doors of the Ruins. They were locked, leaving you to do something drastic. You'd walked a small distance away from the double doors, finding a secret spot under a giant bush. You unsheathed your claws, using them to uproot the snow and rocks. It appeared to be mostly gravel underneath, it being relatively easy to cast it away over your shoulder. You made sure to seal up the hole behind you, as you didn't want anybody to find your tunnel.

It had taken a while, having to successfully navigate under Toriel's house. Within an hour you'd resurfaced again. You found yourself in the small dead end that you'd sheltered at when Undyne had almost taken your head off with a spear. You could hear the small drip of water in the distance, the familiar chasm next to you. You pulled out your roll of parchment, using an inked quill to draw the room that you were in. It was still daytime, and from the sounds of it, Toriel wasn't home yet.

As you walked around the corner, a shrill voice called out from behind you.

"What are you doing?" You gave a shrill screech, whipping your head around to find… a flower? A lone buttercup was perched behind you, firmly planted on the edge of the cliff. It gazed suspiciously at you, a knowing smirk on its flowery features.

"Nothing of importance. Hot about you buttercup? Whatcha doin' in here?" The flower had given a small growl, creeping steadily closer.

"The name's Flowey. Flowey the Flower."

"That's quite a generic name you got there. Hold on a sec. I've heard your name somewhere… Where did I hear it again? Wait. Nevermind."

"And I suppose Lion is a unique name, eh?"

"How do you know my name? I don't remember you being with the group…"

"That's because I wasn't in the group. But I've been listening in on you. And I know who you are…" You gave the golden flower a confused and fearful look, Flowey shooting you a sarcastic smirk before continuing on with his speech.

"You're that 'human' that I found in the bed of golden flowers. But now that I've seen you in the light, you're no human. You're obviously a monster. But tell me this: why would a monster fall into Mt. Ebott? Aren't all the monsters trapped under the mountain?"

"Not all of the monsters were trapped under the mountain Flowey. Some saved themselves from being trapped and took their hate out on the humans. Many died. Another war shortly ensued. Humans were victorious and almost every monster died in vain. What's your point Flowey?"

"You knew that monsters are trapped under the mountain, so why didn't you and your friends help?!"

"Because we didn't have the supplies necessary to break the barrier! Seven souls aren't easy to come by, especially if they need to have seven different traits!"

"Hah! Likely story! You and your friends are just selfish, hogging the surface all to yourself!"

"Do you have ANY IDEA OF HOW HARD IT IS TO HARVEST A SOUL?! HAVE YOU AN INKLING OF HOW RARE SOME SOUL TRAITS ARE, AND HOW HARD THEY ARE TO FIND?! HOW WE'VE PLENTY OF BRAVERY AND JUSTICE SOULS BUT NEVER A SOUL OF DETERMINATION OR KINDNESS THAT DARES TO STAND AGAINST US! DO YOU HONESTLY THINK THAT WE _WANT_ TO LIVE ON THE SURFACE?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF HOW TERRIBLE IT IS UP THERE?! WELL? DO YOU?!" Your screeches had reverberated around the rocky cavern, leaving the small flower stunned. But you continued on with your screeches, tuning it down a little.

"You think that monsters are suffering down here? Well, how about this: I prefer the Underground to the surface. It's a merciless world up there, and you should be grateful that you don't have millions of humans jumping down your throat, itching to skin you and use your pelts as carpets for their feet. You think that freeing the monsters will make any difference in this world? Well think again Flowey. I grew up on the surface, and I've seen some terrible things in my life. So go ahead and berate me for not 'freeing the monsters', but if the day ever comes for the barrier to break, you'll see exactly what I mean..." You turned on your heel, stomping away into the next hallway. You paid the house no attention, stomping your way through the Ruins in your silent rampage.

As you went, you drew down the separate rooms, taking special notes on the puzzles and figuring out the solutions to them. As you went to push the rocks back into place, a loud 'pop' had issued near your left.

"What? Back to berate me again?" You already knew that it was Flowey, seeing as how Toriel wouldn't come popping out of the ground to see you.

"No. I just came to warn you that Toriel and Frisk are back in the Ruins. You might want to go incognito or something."

"I've already got that covered. Besides, I won't be here for long. I only have a few more rooms to map. You're welcome to come with me or not, I don't care." You headed over into the next room, beds of scarlet petals coming into view. Flowey had followed close behind, seemingly attached to your tail. You carried your map loftily in your paws, passing the room with the candy bowl.

"Gained any LOVE yet?"

"If you're referring to Level Of Experience, then yes, I have plenty. If it's Level Of Violence, then yes, I also have plenty. Why?" Flowey had given a mirthful chuckle, coming to rest cheekily on your right shoulder.

"Oh ho ho! So you do have a vengeful streak in you!" You immediately felt the need to correct him.

"No. When you've lived on the surface, you have to know how to survive. Some humans are relentless in their pursuits. I've had my fair share of killing but I've never killed out of spite. I'm not a savage, nor am I a genocidal maniac."

"Is that so? How much LOVE do you have?"

"Thirteen. My parents had twenty, and did much more killing than I ever could." You walked in relative silence, your paws quietly sounding against the brick flooring. You remember when you were hurrying through this place, jumping over puzzles and swimming across trenches.

"Are all humans hateful towards monsters?" Flowey had asked from your shoulder. You turned towards him, carefully plotting down the spike bridge on your map.

"No. They've been raised to believe that all monsters are dangerous. That all monsters eat humans and cause problems. It comes from their upbringing. I've met some who shot at my parents as soon as they'd laid eyes on them. I've met some who were scared at first but accepted it. And I've met some who didn't believe that we were all bad and accepted us without a hitch. Humans come in various ways but all are equally dangerous. Just as I've been brought up to despise humans."

"You were brought up to hate humans?"

"Yeah. My parents and I lived in the woods near Mt. Ebott. Humans constantly came in, hoping to get to Mt. Ebott to investigate the strange disappearances. If you've guessed it, they too went missing."

"Why's that?" You'd made your way back to the first cavern, the illuminated patch of grass fresh with dew. Did somebody water the grass? It was probably Toriel.

"Well, my family and I had a code of sorts for dealing with humans. If they had a firearm and shot at us, then we killed them. If they had a firearm but only used it for hunting wild game, then we let them be. If they didn't have any weapons then we tailed them to make sure that they didn't do anything. If you've guessed it, the majority of the humans come in with firearms. They set down traps and poison bait, hoping to lure us out of our home. But it never worked. We had to be on our toes, day in day out. The surface was tough." You'd now made your way into the first cavern. Huge marble pillars sprung up from the ground, a dim light filtering onto the flower bed. You looked towards the surface sadly.

"You know, I saw what you were about to do to Frisk back in Snowdin."

"Huh?"

"That gleam in your eye. You wanted to kill them, didn't you?" You were silent, staring up at the tiny hole in the ceiling.

"Yes. I wanted to kill them. It's a natural reflex for me to be hostile towards any human. After all, I was raised to destroy humans. It's only natural that Frisk would pose a threat towards me. But after I was around them for a while, I learned to calm myself down. They're nice enough and if other monsters are nice to them, then I'll try my best to be courteous to them too. They deserve that much." You'd finished mapping out the Ruins, sticking the map back into your sweater pocket.

"So what are you going to do now?"

"Me? I'm going to map out the Underground for the time being. I don't know what I'm going to do afterwards."

"Hmm. I see. Well… Here's a word to the wise: keep an eye on the shorter skeleton. I know for a fact that he's keeping an eye on you as well. You don't want to get on his bad side."

"Yeah. I figured with all of his suspicious glances that he doesn't trust me. I don't really care, though. He can think whatever he wants to but I'm sticking to my plan. Hey. Do me a favor."

"Huh? Why should I do YOU a favor?" You eyed him with a mischievous glare.

"If you don't, I'll burn you to ashes. Either that or you deal with the discord that follows my presence. Don't tell the others anything that I've just told you. I'll tell them one day. Just… not now. Alright?" Flowey huffed and followed your gaze, staring up into the dim sunlight.

"Yeah. Sure. Fine. But you owe me."

"Sure. Just let me know when you want to carry out that favor, Flowey." It'd went silent, Flowey creeping down your back and disappearing back into the group with a small 'pop'. It was just you now. You should probably leave for Snowdin. If you sat here for too long, Toriel or Frisk might find you here. That'd be awkward…

It had taken an hour and a half, but you'd made your way back to Snowdin, using your previous tunnel to arrive back from under the bush. You'd carefully covered up your tracks, looking out onto the forest. It looked to be around the middle of the afternoon. With that, you set off once again, your map at the ready...


	8. Adventures Around Snowdin

Adventures In The Tundra

The numerous pine trees swayed dangerously in the harsh winds, the thick snow blanketing the forest in its sheer cold embrace. Everybody was either inside being warm and toasty or out and about trying to finish their errands within the blizzard. You were the only person that couldn't go somewhere warm as of now. You'd taken the north path this time, hopping over the icy river and onto the snowy field across. Pine needles littered the snow, jabbing into your paws with every step. For every mile that you walked, you had to stop and pull them out, hissing with pain. You'd gotten decently far in the matter of a couple hours, scaling a couple cliffs and documenting each detail with precision. You even counted the trees and marked them, giving each a significant number.

You slowly dragged your aching claws across the bark as you walked, the howling wind reaching into the depths of the trees and chilling you through your skin. You weren't cold, despite for the lumps of snow that would fall on your head sometimes. The tips of your ears were gathering frost on them and you'd taken to wrapping your tail around your abdomen, as to preserve heat. It was desolate out here. And lonely. You knew the loneliness and embraced it like a friend. You were confused at yourself sometimes. You don't like talking to people but you don't want to be alone all the time. Sigh. Your black claws had slid off of the tree, the splitting sound of bark disappearing. It was time for another location check.

You grabbed onto the petrified pine tree, digging each claw in and hauling yourself through the branches and up the trunk. The higher you got, the colder it was, as your paws would start catching in snow pits in the dense canopies. You eventually arrived at the top, your nose stinging from the harsh winds that assaulted your face. The icy lake wasn't too far away and the towering pine trees seemed to never end. You were very close to the cavern walls, the cold rock faces jutting upwards, sealing the cold in forever. You slid down the base of the trunk, shaking off the snow, and continued on your journey.

You'd been at a fast-paced speed walk when you heard tiny footprints trudging after you in the snow. You turned to look, coming face to face with a small white dog. It had clumps of fur stuck to its tiny body, it's beady eyes filled with mirth and curiosity. The dog carried a very large bone, what looked to be a femur, in its small jaws, looking extremely contented. As you stopped to look at it, the dog stopped, waiting for you to keep going. It wanted to follow you.

You continued through the woods, the little white dog following you joyfully, it's tail wagging all the way. It took a minute of wandering before you came upon the lake. Its surface was completely frosted over, a thick layer of ice trapping the frozen water inside. Clumps of white flowers littered the ground, a sweet and minty scent filling the air. You walked around the perimeter of the lake, graphing it on your makeshift map. It was all coming together nicely. So far, you'd marked over 7,413 pine trees in the area. The flowers were a new addition, but they were probably common to the underground. You didn't pluck any seeing as how they were just flowers and how they were stupidly insignificant. It was a nice sight, though, the rays of light bouncing off the ice and away into the cavern.

You gave a heavy sigh, coming to lay against the trunk of a nearby pine tree. The white dog who'd finished their bone had pried its way into your lap, curling up into a ball and providing some of its warmth to you. You lifted a paw to stroke the dog, small sighs of content issuing from its muzzle. The dog soon fell asleep, using your lap as its pillow. You glanced tiredly at the ceiling of the cavern, the blizzard still raging on. The snow kept falling, more roughly this time around. As a kid, it never snowed around Ebott. When winter rolled around, it was just very cold and icy. Funny, as you didn't even notice that the thing you'd wanted to see for the longest time was reminding you of something that you didn't want to remember. How you had begged your parents to see the snow...

You stroked the small dog gently, taking your time to go over the dark thoughts that you ignored earlier. You stopped and counted your gold, amounting to three hundred or something around that price. You could try to make something, a house perhaps, but where? The others had mentioned more zones throughout the underground. You thought about making a journey through the underground, to map out the entire kingdom and to decide your fate afterwards. You could save up enough money and buy a plot, something to keep you tethered to reality once you had nothing to do. Picking the small dog up, you cradled it in your arms, continuing on in the frenzied snowstorm. The snow had stopped shortly five hours after. You came across clearings here and there, resting when you could beneath the branches of pine trees and in hollowed out pits in the trees . The trip was exhausting and you constantly had to use your magic to keep warm. You'd been out in the cold for far too long, the deathly starting to get to you. The rays of light began to dim, signaling the end of the day for the citizens of Snowdin.

The tiny dog had woken up, squirming to free itself from your grasp. You let go, the dog flying away and launching itself into the snowy woods. Perhaps it had an owner that was looking for it... You turned around, stopping when a familiar flash of green and yellow caught your attention. It lingered for a bit, a mop of red hair coming into view. It had once again vanished, leaving you befuddled and curious as to what it really was.

You stepped forward only to come face to face with the rocky cavern walls. You could've turned around and left but you didn't. Not when you saw a peculiar ledge that led along the walls. You hooked into the walls of the cave with your claws, hoisting yourself onto the frosty ledge. It was dangerously narrow, your paws barely fitting on. You didn't mind. Hooking your claws into the wall, you gazed over the snowy treetops, spying various strangers settling into their homes. You spotted a large walkway opposite your wall, with iron stairs leading up towards another cavern. You'd explore that later.

You walked on the perilous ledge nonchalantly, mapping out how narrow the passage was and what it overlooked. Your map was almost done, the only other thing was the woods on the right of Snowdin. You were in the woods to the left. You spotted the wooden bridge and the abyss you fell into. It started out as a gorge that started from the left of the cavern and down towards the right. You wanted to explore that abyss too, carefully but surely. So many things to do, and so much time to do it. A gust of icy winds made you shiver. You instinctively huddled in on yourself and deployed your fire magic. You had lots of magic storage. You'd last for a good long while. The ledge had tightly hugged the left side of the cavern, leading off into a wide snowy field at the end. A thick river cut through the foundation, huge ice cubes drifting along its waves and into the darkness. The ledge ended here. You easily jumped over the river and continued walking, stopping when the outline of the brother's house came into view at the very end. You wondered if that bone was one of theirs. Shaking your head, you continued back into the dark woods. The other side of the river was equally the same, various trees filling the landscape and large branches of frozen rivers cutting through the snow. A large snowy clearing had come into view, the cliff overlooking a huge field of snow. The angle was steep and perfect for sledding. You'd decided that you might go over there later.

The darkness was quickly arriving. You settled down where you were, starting to gather huge piles of snow. You pushed and forced the mounds together to create a shoddy igloo of sorts. You hollowed out the bottom floor, which was enough room for two of you to sleep back to back. You slowly crawled inside, your map laying out on the floor, inked quills lying forlornly on its surface. Your map of Snowdin was done. Well, almost. You'd neglected to fill out Snowdin, leaving before the group could pursue you any further.

Capping the ink and rolling up the map, you lay on your back, your thoughts drifting to the parts that you didn't explore. While you could still do them tomorrow, you still had to map out the other regions. You could always come back to the smaller bits later. That would be procrastinating, though. You did however, spot a path that led away from Snowdin during your first day here. You should probably check that out tomorrow too. You fell into a small nap, not dreaming of anything except the small white dog from earlier. Whose dog was that anyways?

You'd woken up somewhere in the middle of the night, the atmosphere of outside eerie and lonesome. A warm white mass was curled up against your back, its chest rising and falling gently. A stray leg struck out, gently poking your side in its sleep. You rubbed at your eyes, recognizing the white dog from earlier. It's pink tongue hung out, its little tail twitching in its sleep. You only just noticed how warm it was in the igloo that was your Snowdin base. No wonder that the dog chose to room with you. You slowly crawled out and into the cold, immediately regretting your decision. Your head began to throb, begging to go back inside of the toasty igloo. You ignored your head, shaking the bits of snow off your clothes and heating them up. Today was the day that you would see what that path was. You noticed that you had small bits of snow sticking to your hair, which melted into water as you used your fire magic. Great. Gotta love wet hair. And least you didn't smell like a wet poodle.

The automatic lights in the cavern were nonexistent at the time, your handy dandy night vision coming into effect as you stepped into the snow storm. As you stepped out into the open, you spotted a big house across the snowy plains. The skelebro's house. It was dark inside, everybody either being asleep or not there at all. It was strangely melancholic and tranquil, the snow crunching under your paws as you walked. You turned your head away from the house, heading to the right to check out that path that you'd saw earlier.

What you didn't know was that a lone figure spotted your figure from afar on the balcony.

The brother's house had eventually disappeared into your peripheral vision, the snow and darkness being the only things to come up. The only noise you heard was the whistle of the wind and the crunch of snow under your paws. You'd left the little dog inside of your igloo, choosing to let it be as you kept on. You hadn't encountered any monsters during the early morning, the darkness prevailing everywhere that you went. For some strange reason, the path that you'd chose had led you back to the three way. Back to Snowdin. You had arrived in the center of the town, Grillbys long since closed. All of the lights were off, encasing the entire town in darkness. It was pretty peaceful altogether. The Christmas tree had been turned off, the presents sitting abandoned underneath. You hitched your paws in your sweater pocket, passing by the many buildings. You absentmindedly walked past the brother's house, not even bothering to glance at it. You'd take more morning walks after this one. You were sure of it.

You'd taken a doubted step forward, suddenly bumping into something warm and sturdy. You shook your head hastily, craning your neck to look at the figure in front of you. Oh. It was just Sans. He had his usual grin plastered onto his skull, the only difference being the intensity of the bags under his eye sockets. He looked exhausted.

"heya." Relax Lion. He's not gonna do anything. But it was early in the morning. What was he doing up? Stop being a hypocrite. You're up too!

"Yo." You liked being casual, your dark amber eyes glowing with intensity. He stared at you hard and you stared back, eager to come off as nonchalant.

"what are you doing out here? and why so early in the morning, pal?" Alright. Question time, commence!

"Even though I should be asking you the same question, I'm just taking a walk. I'm still exploring at the moment, so I'm using all of this time to my advantage."

"still? it's pretty early to be exploring. especially in this weather." He seemed surprised at your current activity, you shrugging at your position and pointing towards the path at the far end.

"I'd just recently finished mapping out the contents of the area surrounding Snowdin. I'd figured that I should explore the other regions, too while I'm at it."

"you gonna be alright exploring by yourself, kiddo?" There it was: the suspicion from earlier about you being prone to death and many other things. You couldn't blame him really. If you were in his place, you'd be worried about yourself too.

"welp. over that way is waterfall. it's cold, wet, and full of echo flowers."

"Echo flowers? What are those?"

"yeah. echo flowers. you say one thing to em' and they'll repeat it back. depends on whatcha say, though." They sounded pretty cool. You could imagine yourself pranking some unsuspecting monster with these flowers. Perhaps.. Maybe they were those ones you saw at the lake.

"What color are they?" He looked taken aback at your question, stopping to think, before answering.

"a sort of bluish green. why?"

"While I was exploring, I found these flowers near a lake. I think that they're native to Snowdin though."

"hold on. you were near a lake?"

"Yeah, why?"

"the lake's pretty far away kid. almost no one goes out there because it takes such a long time. people get lost out there."

"It's not that far away. It's really nice up close, though, so the journey was totally worth it. Have you ever been out there?"

"nevermind. just make sure not to go using the echo flowers for bad purposes." He looked away, a slight frown on his skull. There was seriously a bad way to go using these flowers? Huh... Who knew flora could be used for pure evil?

"Yeah. Okay. Welp. I'll see you around, Sans. Tell everybody that I said hi. Or not. Depends on you. See ya!" Sans waved goodbye and stepped away from you. You had turned on your heel, setting out for this supposed Waterfall. You almost made a face when he mentioned how wet it would be. You loved the rain when it came, but you'd had your fair share of being cold and wet for the day. The lights in the sky were beginning to brighten, the early rays of dawn coming down. Citizens would be out and about soon. The time sure flies by fast, huh? The path to Waterfall was long and silent, the waves of the water lapping at the sides. Ice cubes occasionally floated past, chilling the water even more than it needed to be. Snow had started to fall again and you wrapped your arms around yourself, depleting your magic once more. Seems like you wouldn't get a break, huh? Your magic points had renewed themselves throughout the night, leaving you full of energy and magic. With another sheet of paper and your pen at the ready, you continued on the path to Waterfall, hoping that it couldn't get any worse than the cold of Snowdin. You were wrong. So very wrong…

Once again, his suspicions had been confirmed. Sans had stepped out for an early morning walk, awoken from another night terror once again. He was a fool to let himself sleep for once. At first, when he went to take a drag of fresh air from the balcony, he was sure that he'd just seen something strange in the woods, but as he went out for his walk, he found it extremely suspicious and surprising that you would randomly just appear. How odd it was that you had just randomly walked into town near the library with a nonchalant demeanor. What were you doing up so early in the morning? Weren't you supposed to be home with your family in the capital? At that moment, Sans was sure that the thing that he'd saw from earlier in the faraway slopes was you. What you were doing all the way out there at two in the morning, Sans had no idea. But then again, he had no reason to be suspicious. He was taking a walk at two in the morning too. Perhaps it was best not to dwell on it.

Sans had walked past the library and into the woods, following the trail that you had traced earlier. He didn't feel like taking a shortcut, seeing as how his magic points were being drained for every moment that he was awake. Your trail had wound itself around the far outskirts of Snowdin, over a couple of iced rivers, down a snowy slope, and finally arriving at a very snowy clearing. Tall pine trees shielded the clearing from view, icicles hanging from the trees.

Sans took a few seconds to look behind him, marveling at the view from high up here. No wonder that he saw you standing up here earlier. The view up here was impressive. He'd have to tell Papyrus about this place, albeit having to make an excuse as to how he found it. Meh. He'd just say that the dog sentries told him about this place. Sans was about to go back home before he saw a strange structure in the snow. Walking closer, he clearly made out that the structure was a decently made igloo. How the hell did you make an igloo and why?

It was pretty big, as Papyrus could fit in the thing if he lying straight on his back. As he peered inside, he found that a small white dog was sleeping inside of it, its chest slowly rising and falling in its sleep. Did you make this for the dog or for yourself? It was very strange. That and that the white dog had stolen Papyrus's special attack earlier.

There were many things to be suspicious about, the facts just not adding up. The kid was going to Waterfall now. To "explore" as you had put it. With a last reproachful glare, Sans had straightened up, turning around to catch a glimpse of something green and yellow stalking through the trees away from him. He instinctively raised his left arm, his cyan blue iris blazing with fear.

But nobody came. Sans, who was very shaken, had opted to just use a shortcut to go home. Within seconds, he was back in his living room, the loud snores of Papyrus echoing throughout the wooden house. He'd better get back to bed. Or at least, take a catnap or something to take his mind off of the morning's events. With a shaky sigh, Sans had slowly climbed the stairs, stopping to crack open Pap's door. He gave a sigh of relief.

Of course, Papyrus was JUST in bed. Nothing of importance going on in there. Papyrus was safe and sound in his own bed, snoring happily away. And Sans really needed to stop delaying _his_ bed too. Gently closing Pap's bedroom door, Sans had quietly made his way to his own room, giving the swirling trash tornado at the foot of his bed a quick glance. He looked out the window one more time before flopping onto his bed. The sheets had yet to be laundered and fitted, a messy ball of sheets and comforters pushed to the far right corner of his bed. When was this whole nightmare going to end?


	9. The Journey Through Waterfall

A Boat To Carry You

You didn't expect to be confronted by your fears so quickly. The scenes of Snowdin and the caves of Waterfall had melted together perfectly, leaving you to wonder which cavern you were in. Sans had told you that it would be very wet and very cold but you didn't expect the bottomless pools of teal water to litter the cavern.

At first, the marsh was nothing to be concerned about, except for random people to jump out. You'd found Napstablook chilling in a patch of grass, listening to some music. He'd given you a smile and a wave, into which you promptly returned back. Little drips of water fell from the tall ceiling, connecting with the pools of water at the bottom. Large crystals hung from the walls, millions of rubies inside shining with the brightness of a star. The water gave off a brilliant teal light, illuminating the cavern beautifully. All around you, the sound of cascading water filled the air. Sans was right about the flowers. The little fuckers were everywhere, documenting each one of your trips and stumbles.

But regardless of the water and the cold, you were having lots of fun. You were in a very dark corridor, the icy rain pounding down on your small form. Your long tail dragged across the stone floor, flicking specks of water here and there.

"Hmm? Oh! You mean that monster over there?" Your ears had pricked, wincing at the many drops that embedded themselves in your ear fur. You flattened your ears and turned around, facing the armless monster child from earlier. What surprised you was that Frisk was by their side, wearing a lime-green dinosaur jumper. They looked absolutely adorable. Both of them seemed to be waving at you.

"Hey you! Across the water! Yeah! You!" The monster child was calling out towards you, Frisk rapidly signing something at them. There was a huge lake of teal water separating the three of you, small lily pads floating on its surface.

"Frisk says hi!"

"Hello Frisk! Hello friend of Frisk!" You called back, your voice hoarse from not using it.

"Frisk says that your name is Lion! My name's MK! Frisk asks if you could wait for us over there! We sort of came to a dead end and we got lost!"

"Do you need help getting out?! I could swim over there if you want!"

"Yes please!" You abandoned your previous thoughts, eyeing the icy water with distaste. If they needed your help, then you were gonna help them, darnit! You bunched up your hind legs, springing into the cold water with slight hesitation. You kept your eyes closed, furiously kicking your legs in the water. Before you knew it, you'd resurfaced a short way from the kid's bank. Your head and back bobbed above the water's surface, your paws underneath, pushing you closer and closer to them.

"Hey! You made it!" MK and Frisk had stood close to the water's edge, watching as you arose near the edge of the water. With a slight sneeze, you shook the water out of your fur, warming up your clothing afterwards. Frisk had given you a big hug afterwards, pointing towards a dark hallway that stood to your left.

"That's the way that Frisk and I came but we sort of got lost. Mister Papyrus warned us that we might get lost in here. Guess we should've listened, huh?" You gave MK a small smile and shrugged.

"It's fun to get lost every once in awhile. I think that I can find the way out. Are you two heading back to Snowdin?" Frisk nodded.

"Yep! I have to get home before my parents found out that I left!"

"Alright then! Follow ME!" You'd led the children out of the room with the glowing ponds and into the next room on the left. The three of you had passed by a white tear-shaped monster who was too busy staring into the teal pools to notice you. The kids were talking amongst themselves, leaving you to lead the way. You'd just stepped into the next room when-

"heya."

"Yo." It was just Sans. He appeared to fiddling with a shiny telescope, the lens aimed towards the ceiling.

"what are the three of you up to?" He carefully gazed over at Frisk, who appeared to be giggling at something that MK had said.

"They got lost and I offered to take them back to Snowdin. They were going back there before I had even gotten into their same room. Of course, they'd called out for me to stop and wait for them to catch up." You gave Sans a shrug and motioned towards the two children who were busily chatting it up.

"oh? i can take em' back if you want."

"Are you sure? You look busy with whatever you're doing with that telescope. It looks new."

"nah. it's pretty old. paps dug it out of the shed earlier. he's around here somewhere though. say. if you see him, let him know that the telescope might need some testing?"

"Some testing? Why? Is it busted?" The silver telescope looked fairly new apart from a few scratches here and there. Sans had looked genuinely puzzled about something, tediously arranging the eye piece this way and that way.

"nah. the eyepiece won't work for me. mostly because i don't have eyes. wanna see for yourself?" There was something in that cheeky smile that caused Frisk to pull you away.

"Sure. Why not? Though it's probably because the ceiling isn't lit up. Oh well." Sans gave a slight chuckle as you peered through the telescope. Huh. It worked. You could clearly see the crystals embedded in the rocks on the ceiling. You pulled back from the eyepiece, about to say something when you noticed that both MK and Sans were laughing hysterically.

"What are you two laughing at? Anyway, I can see through it just fine but-" Frisk had pulled on the edge of your sweater, motioning at your eyes.

"My eyes? What about them?" Frisk had made a wiping motion, scowling at Sans who was too busy cackling in the background to care. You made to wipe your eye, a sticky red substance coming off. You gave a small screech, hurriedly wiping away the red stuff from your eye.

"*wheeze* relax kit. it's *choke* just red paint." Red paint? For a moment, you had thought that it was blood. You gave a small sigh of relief, cuffing Sans on the cheek as you wiped away the remnants of the paint. It was washable. Huh.

"hehe. sorry about that kit. hehe *choke* i'll take these two back to snowdin. thanks for the laugh."

"You're welcome, but don't expect me to humor you next time. I'll be on my toes from here on out!"

"sure. see ya." With that, Sans had led the children away from the telescope, heading left towards another room. Their chatter eventually died down, leaving you to head back the way that you came. You soon came upon the teal water room.

What really scared you about this place was the over abundance of water. There was so much water in here. On the surface, you knew what the ocean was but it still scared you shitless. Sure, you could swim in deep waters, but the ocean was a watery death trap that surrounded multiple continents. It was icy cold and held many terrifying creatures that could fuck your shit up. You were glad that you lived in a place that wasn't close to the ocean. Maybe next time giant sea squid. You liked breathing, thank you very much. The sound of water got louder and louder, sounding more and more like rain. You yawned, giving a little twirl in the grass. Despite the deep waters, it was very beautiful around here. You could stay here but the water made you slightly anxious.

You looked out, the end of the water nowhere in sight. The ceiling of this cave was higher than that of Snowdin's, making the echoes more pronounced and distorted. It wasn't as cold in here, various water puddles dotting the floor. You remember seeing a small shape bounding through the tall grass but you couldn't be too sure. Even though you could hear the tunes of the droplets, you still felt the piercing silence creeping up on you. The echo flowers kept murmuring something to each other,but you couldn't quite catch the words. You were covered in scratches and bruises, slipping in the puddles, and tripping on stray rocks.

"AHOY MONSTER CHILD!" You whipped around, Papyrus's tall form bounding over puddles and ponds to reach you. His joyous shriek was still ringing in your ears.

"Hi Papyrus. Sans told me to tell you that that telescope of his needs testing, however, it works just fine. Just check the eyepiece before you use it. He tricked me into looking through it and I got red paint around my eye."

"IS SANS PRANKING PEOPLE ACROSS SPACE AND TIME AGAIN?! I SWEAR, HE GETS LAZIER AND LAZIER EVERYDAY!"

"I can see that. Anyway, that's just what Sans did. He went to take MK and Frisk back to Snowdin."

"MONSTER KID AND FRISK WERE IN WATERFALL? WHY DIDN'T THEY TELL ME?"

"I dunno. Sans will be back soon so there's that to look forward to. Anywho, I gots to go and explore Waterfall. Let me know how the telescope thing works out!"

"WILL DO MONSTER CHILD! COME AND VISIT US IN SNOWDIN ANYTIME!"

"Will do Papyrus! I'll see you soon!" You bid Papyrus farewell, taking off towards the other room.

The sight of the glowing waterfalls here and there were ultimately breathtaking. They were large and powerful, it being very difficult to stand near one without shrinking back. Small geodes were stationed at the top of the rocky summit, constantly raining down around you. Some had fallen with a 'plink' into the crystal clear waters, breaking open to reveal the colorful crystals embedded inside. You extended your arms to touch the water's cool surface. It was icy cold, the water seeping into your claw pits. You quickly retracted your paw, the tiny water droplets landing on your skin. They glowed among your ears, illuminating your body like a string of teal fairy lights. You stuck your paws back in the pool, breathing through the cold fog, and scooped up a handful. The entire pool glowed in your hands, a source of light against the gloomy backdrop. You let the water slip back in, the remainder sliding down your wrist and into your sweater.

It was hard not to get lost within here and now you'd understood how MK and Frisk had gotten lost too. There was so much to see, as you were constantly stopping and taking in the gorgeous sights. What you really wanted to do was climb up the rocky walls to the high-vaulted ceiling. The crystals that were perched up there were not stars, but from here they looked like them. If you squinted, it looked like one of those galaxies out of dad's textbooks. Up close, they were probably huge, probably bigger than you. Maybe you'd go up there later.

The puzzles weren't that hard, a few confusing like the lily pad puzzle. You'd messed up, always getting the trajectory and angle wrong and the lily pad would teasingly float across the teal waters. You would have to reset the bell again… Still, the sight of the pretty cyan flowers lighting up in synch was breathtaking.

Despite your cluelessness, you had found a secret passageway, the lilies leading to a stray bench overlooking a small pond. A lone echo flower sat curled up against the bench, its petals slowly withering. There was a huge quiche underneath which was cold and hard as a rock. You left it there. The owner was gonna get angry if some punk stole their sandwich. You walked back to the room with the bell, the lily pads in perfect order leading into the next room. The ting of a bell sounded from somewhere behind you. You quickly turned around, spotting the small creature thing from earlier.

It was a small cat-dog creature with long gray hair and a small pale blue and canary yellow striped sweater. For some reason, they seemed to be wearing a golden collar with white spikes around the bottom ring. The creature gazed at you sadly, taking in your appearance and following you step for step across the lilies. The monster was oh so small, and you wanted to pet it so badly but you knew that that would be weird. You didn't make small conversation, seeing as how the monster looked busy. Apparently, you were wrong.

"Are we going the same way?" The small creature had murmured.

"Most likely."

"Sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Bob. And you are..?"

"Name's Lion. Nice to meet ya." The echoes of your conversation bounced off of the rocky walls, making you nervous. Extremely nervous. Bob walked a little faster at your reply, shooting you a big grin before synching into your brisk steps.

"Most of the tems don't bother talking to me. I don't exactly know why... I-It's nice to see a friendly face around here for once!"

"For… once?"

"Yeah..." Bob looked down at his white paws. He looked downtrodden and sad. You wanted to comfort the poor guy but you were merely acquaintances. That would be weird and creepy.

"Ever since news got out about the barrier malfunction, monsters have been… a lot... crueler. Everybody's depressed, whether our faces show it or not… We'd been hoping that the human child would be the last soul and that we could finally go free. We were wrong to get our hopes up like that." Bob had stopped walking beside you at the boardwalk, you stopping to sit beside him. You didn't know what to say so you'd just listen.

"Nobody wants to do anything anymore. Even the tems are different. They more savage and barbaric than before. Nobody's happy anymore. What with the loss of the royal scientist, the malfunctioning of the barrier, the SOULs, and now this! Now we have to wait for more humans to fall. And we don't even know if there will be!" Bob was loosely sobbing, his translucent tears falling into the murky waters below. Fuck it. You rubbed the tem's back, giving comforting pats now and then. You knew how to listen and if the guy needed comfort and stability, you'd at least give that to him.

"We'll never know what the stars are like, what fresh air is like, what… freedom.. is like. You get what I'm saying? Because of that, mostly all of the monsters are acting like jerks. Fighting the elderly, raising hell for the king, and doing just... god awful crimes." You raised your eyebrows at that. The monsters that you'd met so far had been friendly and kind, some even going as far to try to keep you with them. You felt a great sadness pool in your heart.

"The guy tries, really! He probably doesn't even know wasn't going on, and I can't blame the guy! I just wished that everything was easier, that the humans could understand what it's like, being trapped down here with no way of getting out… and sometimes… I wish that I didn't have to deal with this anymore. That I didn't have to exist and that I could fade away and watch as the world goes by without me. And least I could be free at last. S' not like the tems care about me anyway..." You hugged the small tem, his sobs getting louder and his tiny paws clutching onto your ratty sweater for dear life. You felt yourself silently crying with the tem, a few tears rolling down your cheeks. Their situation was terrible and knowing that it was so bad that the guy didn't want to exist anymore tore your heart in two.

"You can't give up. Even if the world comes crashing down at your feet, and it seems as though nothing is going right, keep going! It may seem bad now but things will get better! We'll find a way out of this. We'll get out and you can see the stars! You can taste the fresh air and find freedom wherever you go! Just don't give up hope!" You attempted to cheer up Bob, rubbing circles in his back.

Bob had slowly stopped crying, his sobs becoming sniffles and then all had become quiet. The tem had fallen asleep on your shoulder, soft whimpers echoing in his sleep. You stopped rubbing his back, continuing on your way. There was a large plank of thick and sturdy driftwood floating on the bank. It had decently crafted oars laying on the deck, perfect for getting across the large body of water in front of you. You stepped into the boat, gently setting Bob down on the backseat. It was much higher there and he was less likely to fall off during your ride. You got to your knees, taking the oars in your paws, and moving them back and forth. You worked hard to get the boat moving through the choppy waters, a few waves crashing against the hull.

The steady drip of water was calming, taking you away from the depressing thoughts of this land. If what Bob said was true, then the monsters were stuck in a really deep hole. You didn't know if you wanted to leave, but the other monsters desperately wanted to go. Here you were, happy and carefree exploring the land that's been here for centuries... And then there were the monsters who'd been trapped here for centuries, desperate for change and desperate for freedom. You were still crying, the salty tears cascading down your cheek freely and splashing against the neck of your sweater. This was reality and you couldn't blame the tem for his suicidal thoughts. You'd be thinking the same thing if you were in his shoes, and you were quite glad that you weren't.

You looked back at him, his small chest rising and falling to the dip of the waves. You didn't know where the shore was but it had to be somewhere. Until then, you could think about your current situation. You slowly took out your map and quills, drawing your previous surroundings carefully on the parchment. After a bout of wiping your tears away and putting You swore that you could see something long slinking in the depths. Perhaps it was just another monster. All that was left to do now was row.. Wait. What was that?

Another boat was gently gliding along the waves, its two passengers seeming to slow as they rivaled your boat's speed.

"Oh my god, NC. What are you doing? Nooo..."

"Ahoy there!" The two monsters in the boat appeared to be waving you over. One was an extremely tall rabbit monster while the other was an equally tall cat monster. The cat was holding his paws in front of his face while the rabbit was excitedly waving you over.

"Yo ho! AHOY! Do you guys need something?" Bob was really out cold so there were no chances of waking him up.

"Hey! Can you answer a question for me?!"

"Sure! Why not?!"

"Okay! Are cats ticklish?!" You thought that he was aiming it towards you, but your eyes had lingered on the cat monster. He'd taken his paws off of his face, giving you an extreme death glare from the hull of their boat. His blush said 'omg stop' while his thumb slowing gliding over his neck said 'don't you dare, you little shit.' You flashed him a shit-eating grin, calling back to the rabbit.

"Oh most definitely! Scratch behind the ears or near the belly! It's a _guaranteed_ trick!" You laughed heartily while the cat monster almost launched himself at you from his own boat.

"Thank you! _Now if you'll excuse me~"_

"DON'T YOU DARE- WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?! GET YOUR HAND AWAY FROM-" Loud laughter had echoed throughout the cavern, a small smile playing on your muzzle. Score~

It had taken quite some time, the choppy sea seeming to go on forever. If you knew how far the shore was, you would've turned tail and ran. Sigh. Another pun, eh brain? The rocky shore had come into view, multiple clumps of echo flowers sprouting here and there. It was much darker over here on this side of the sea, the slap of the water against the rocks strangely chilling. A dull mist constantly floated up from the cliffs, slightly soaking your fur. You hoisted the small tem out of the boat, hauling him over your shoulder and leaving the boat behind on the shore. As you looked back, the oars seemed to rotate by themselves, leaving the shore and disappearing into the horizon. You shivered. Creepy. You didn't know where this particular tem lived but you could certainly try to find out. You started to look for any signs of the locals, finding none in your path.

Eventually, you came upon a small hallway, three exits in your sight: one to your left, one straight ahead, and one to your right. You gazed into the left exit, coming face to face with a wizened turtle monster. He was looking at something behind the counter, but as soon as you'd walked in, he'd eyed your small form. You meekly padded inwards, the scent of wet earth invading your nostrils. He seemed to keep his clouded eyes on the sleeping tem on your shoulder, and then they slowly wandered over to you.

"Say, young missy. ..What're ya doing with that tem on yer' shoulder?" He spoke softly with a weird, indescribable accent. You looked the turtle in the eye, his gaze burning into yours.

"Well sir, I happened to meet this tem earlier during my trip over here. They happened to be going the same way and they happened to fall asleep on the way here. I can't seem to wake him up. Must be a heavy sleeper… You don't happen to know this guy, do you?"

"I sure do, lass! If you go down the straight down the hall to the right, you should come across a wide room of water. Don't go across the water to the sides. Keep goin' straight. You should come across a room full of mushrooms and lanterns. The village should be somewhere off of the path in that room. Be warned as it gets pretty dark in there. Sorry if that's no help, lass!"

"It's no problem! Thank you, sir!"

"Call me Gerson."

"Thank you, Gerson." He was very courteous, giving you a quiet goodbye as you left the shop, the sleeping tem still dangling over your shoulder. His fur felt warm and fluffy, you being helpless to stop yourself from running your paws through the tem's hair. He seemed to appreciate this, and nuzzled further into your neck, the feeling similar to that of a furnace. You furthered your stride, covering as much ground as possible. Bob would be waking up real soon seeing as how he had been out for a total of five hours. You should probably get him home as fast as possible so his folks don't worry.

Gerson was spot on, his description fitting as you stopped at the four section. To the north as you exited the shop was a wide river, empty and silenced of all noise. To your right was the way you came, you could still hear the waves slapping against the shore. To your left was a much wider path of water, thick marsh grass sprouting from the depths. It was very dark beyond what you could see. The earthy paths were surrounded by shallow water, the intricate and small details of the waves catching your eye. One thing that stood out was a lone lily pad, dancing on the edges of the water, lonely and useless with its friends. It's giant pink bud had bloomed, a lone drop of dew hanging on the edge of the petal facing you. You stooped down to touch the small flower, its petals as soft as silk. The waterfall nearby was glowing with vigor, stray lily pads falling over the edge and into the fray. This flower was not just a lily pad. It was a lotus, and a white lotus at that. You didn't know that they grew down here. The small things kept you happy.

As you walked through the water, you jotted down every detail, even going as far as stopping to draw them and take notes. Whenever you took a step further, more sunken lily pads would rise to the surface, dipping and bobbing on the waves. You had walked further along when you heard a sweet and lovely voice singing in the background. It drew you in like a siren, you abandoning your post in the water to go and listen. Bob was still on your shoulder, the lullaby pushing him further into sleep. A lone monster was floating near a giant lotus, a lone spot of teal water illuminating their scales. The soprano voice echoing on the cavern walls sounded almost godlike, you being as quiet as possible. You listened as its voice rose higher and higher, the caverns struggling to reverberate it until their voice had dropped to a mournful low note. The song reminded you of a melancholic lullaby, and to take a shot, that was probably what that monster was singing about. Something sad. It certainly sounded like it. Its notes kept dropping, its body floating along with the gentle waves. You needed to leave.

The next room had held what you were looking for. The teal mushrooms were the weirdest quirk that you'd seen so far, glowing at your near presence and providing a loud squeak when you happened to run your fingers over them. You gave a faint smile and pushed on, ignoring the tiny text boxes mounted on the wall on the far side. The overabundance of long grass came back, the blades tickling the bottoms of your paws. Some pieces were very dry, the foundation being as sharp as needles. You gradually progressed further until you reached a smaller room.

You went slowly through the illuminated room, your footsteps echoing quietly in the cavern. The mushrooms were making themselves useful, lighting up when you touched them, albeit, the squeaks making you think that there were more mice nearby. Oh, what you wouldn't give for a tasty mouse right now. You could still taste the remains of Pap's spaghetti on your tongue. Gerson had mentioned that the village was located off of the original path. You pricked your ears intently, listening for any noise in the room. There it was.

A low murmur was passing through the room in the corner, where it just so happened to be pitch black. You swallowed your fear and doubts, stepping into the tall cool grass and into the inky darkness. You unlatched a paw from the small tem, igniting your fire magic to light up your close surroundings. You discovered that there was a path back in the depths, forged from old cobblestone with bits of shells littering the grassy side lines. The noise got louder and louder, you vanishing your fire magic as you got closer. Bob was starting to stir, signaling that you should most definitely walk faster. The cavern was still dark but a faint light up ahead told another story. You quickened your pace, arriving in a small but thunderous village. Small monsters that looked just like Bob sat here and there, chatting nervously amongst themselves, tension thick in the air. You slowly walked in, the other tems locking their eyes onto you, immediately dropping whatever they were doing. They started to gather around you and Bob, coming to join a tight circle around you. The tems began to loudly growl one by one, each having their own snarl, hackles raised, and ears flattened. You quickly backed away, increasing your grip on the sleeping tem.

Before you could say anything, one of them lunged, missing your throat by an inch. The rest had followed suit, surrounding you and trapping you against the far wall. The exit was ahead of you, much beyond reach. Some were spitting massive flecks of foam from their maws, obviously angered, at what you didn't know. The bigger ones were on the outside of the tight ring, daring you to make a run for it. Each had jagged teeth, perfect for ripping flesh and tearing skin. Another had lunged and you sidestepped it quickly, accidentally jostling Bob from his nap. In your moment of dodging, the tems had become quickly enraged, the mob leaping at you in a fury. One had hastily latched onto your thigh and bit down, sharp teeth connecting with bone. You screeched in pain, falling onto your back but supporting Bob nonetheless. You viciously swiped at the tem, your claws catching the side of their head. Their small body flew across the clearing, a mass of blood dripping from the wound. You cloaked your paws in dense flames, the action proving to be fruitless.

The other tems had followed suit and soon they were swarming around you, each finding their own bit of flesh and hooking into it with their teeth. You blindly batted at them, your strength sapping away as you pointlessly fought. You could feel the blood gushing out of your body, your vision starting to fade into black.

"Lion! Lion, wake up! Stop! What are you doing?!" It was pointless for Bob to scream at his fellow tems. The blood loss was too great and you collapsed into darkness, the cold wrapping around you and seeping into your body.

You'd woken again in the dark void, your body all but relieved. Everything ached, your chest heaving for fresh oxygen. You suddenly felt the muscles in your body stretch and contort, your cells rapidly multiplying and replacing the torn muscle tissue with fresh flesh. You felt your skin tighten and the blood in your arteries and veins race, a slow but steady throb beating in your chest. The skin had repatched itself but not fully. The jagged rip marks were now giant welts, bruised and red. They were excruciatingly painful to the touch. The arch of light had appeared above your head once again, the numbers from 1-8 on display in dazzling lights. The clock hand was now moving from eight to seven, the number eight fading away into the void. The painful ringing from your first death had commenced, signaling that another one of your lives had been lost. To the temmies at that. The tolling bell was getting louder and louder, your ears beginning to hurt. The bell had gotten so loud that you'd passed out from the immense pain. Your vision turning black once more, you faded into unconsciousness, the darkness washing over your senses.

The first thing you felt was the unholy wetness, your body soaked and heavy. It was dark and hazy, the air heavy with moisture. The smell of blood was thick in the icy air along with smoke and a tang of fresh mushrooms. You lifted your arms to rub at your tired eyes, recoiling at the feeling of water droplets on your eyelids. You slowly cracked opened your eyes, the cavern ceiling towering above you and the stars brighter than before. They were the only thing illuminating the cave, as the water around you wasn't glowing with the rest. You felt icy cold waves slap against your neck, your limbs all burdened at the given moment. Your sweater was heavy with water, dragging you deeper into the waves. You flipped yourself over, kicking your legs to keep you afloat on the calm waves. You were floating off shore near the turtle monster's shop. Gerson, you remembered. You swam towards the rocky shore, panting with exhaustion. You were soaked, shivering and slightly bleeding, your welts not taking kindly to the salty water. They stung. You deployed your fire magic, the intense heat evaporating the water from your clothes. You heated your entire body, the act more draining than the previous hours. It had taken up most of your magic points.

It was apparently nighttime, the halls and caverns pitch black. The stone door to Gerson's shop was sealed shut, the mushrooms having dimmed down. Heck, even the water was deathly still as you made your way back through the halls. Despite that village being full of his own race, and that he was okay enough to speak to you before your death, you let him be. You'd lost another life, and with each, the going was getting harder. The red welts all over your body protested in pain, the chaffing of the sweater and shorts too much to handle. You had to use your night vision to see better as you limped through the caves. It was scarier than ever in here. Apparently, nights in Waterfall were dark and quiet, enough to hear a pin drop from two rooms over. As were the nights in Snowdin and the Surface.

But this silence held something more than just the dreams of the sleeping monsters that lived here. In this dense silence, you could feel something staring at you, its gaze hostile and hungry. You could hear the slight scrape of rock against rock, the waves pushing the gently into one another. Your paws were numb and despite your warmth, you were trembling. The underground was scary, no matter how friendly some of the inhabitants were.

Why had the tems attacked you? In fact, had Gerson sent you there on purpose? You could still feel their sharp teeth ripping into your flesh and tearing out the muscle, the hot blood spilling out and onto the cold cobblestone floor. You still heard the raging snarls and the terrible pleas of Bob. Even the ringing of the annoying bell in the void was fresh in your mind. You felt hot tears slip down your cheeks and down your neck. This wasn't what you were expecting when you came here. Not at all. How long had you been out? There were silent movements in the dark, taking your thoughts back to the present. You remembered what Bob had said. How some of the locals had become 'unreasonably angry'. Perhaps you were the latest victim… And perhaps you were about to be the latest victim once again... You ignited your bright fire magic, the weak scarlet and gold flames illuminating the walls around you. It became apparent of what was hiding in the thick shadows. It was a jelly like monster, piled in the corner, silently weeping. You knew what is was weeping about... Well, you could make a pretty accurate guess... You moved closer, the monster recoiling and hissing at you, it's body swaying like that of a cobra. You hurriedly backed away, turning tail and running out the nearest exit.

You were terrified, seeing Waterfall in a whole new light than before. It was much more terrifying during the night, the silence starting to get to you. You hurriedly ran past the mushroom room with the tems, coming upon a small room with crystals and lanterns. The crystals gave off a gentle violet hue. The closer you got, the more light it emitted, lighting up much more light than the mushrooms gave off during the day. The lanterns were pretty useless, seeing as how their wicks were completely gone, the candles in small waxy piles. You flattened your ears, nervously looking around. When would the daytime come again? _How_ would the daytime come again? You slowly trudged forward, a deep pool of fear settling in your stomach.

You'd soon came upon a long boardwalk, another one below it as if providing backup. It was desolate, the only exception being for the occasional drip of water from the vaulted ceiling. Your footsteps were very loud against the wood, the clicking of your claws echoing off of the cavern walls. The wooden boardwalk went in every direction, the one underneath you following the same. You dared to look beneath you, way beyond the boardwalk below. The altitude had dropped severely, a thick white fog floating around the bottom chasm. You weren't sure if there was even water down there. Probably just more jagged rocks, similar to the chasm in Snowdin. You continued onwards, coming to a section of the boardwalk that led towards a dead end. The wood was heavily splintered, a couple pieces dangling wildly by the tip. You turned around and tried another path, getting even more lost in the heavy darkness. You'd finally found a way out, a small inlet in the river that you'd passed by the first time. You walked down the path, a low howling wind issuing from the room next door. The room held a wooden bridge, just like the Snowdin one. This one, however, was much shorter in length and a wood panel was out of place somewhere in the middle. The water continued to drip from the ceiling, not a sound issuing from the depths.

You suddenly remembered why you were here, taking out your map of Waterfall and filling in the recent places that you'd been to. You made sure to add the tem village in the corner but added giant warning labels in thick ink to steer yourself away. The map was pretty good so far, as it had turned out better than you thought it would've. After all, it had been in your pocket when you were floating in that sea. You had to tack more paper onto the map just to document the whole thing, but it was perfect. You stuffed the precious items back into your sweater pocket, the map rustling gently by your movement. The wooden bridge was much sturdier than the Snowdin one, supporting your weight ALL the way across. You'd safely made it over, the next room slightly lighter than yours. You hastily skimmed over the stray pebbles, eager for better lighting to see. It was still dark, your paws covered with the weak flames that were licking at your ripped sweater cuffs. The sides of the watery walkway fell away into the darkness, large, jagged rocks appearing in the distance. The real kicker was the giant rocky hill in front of you. The summit was high, and the rock was much too smooth and steep for your claws to get a firm grip on. An endless tunnel cut through the sturdy base, the darkness sheltering in the vast depths. You increased the heat of your fire, the flames going from golden to a flickering white and blue. You took a long drag of air, stepping into the long tunnel, your paws never stopping. The fervent slap of the icy waves on the river bank filled the tunnel as you sped through, the light of your fire bouncing off every surface. Giant ice cubes floated silently down the river, some smaller than the others. You continued forward, a bend in the tunnel signaling a different direction. You turned on your heel, noticing an out of order sign that hung on the wall.

A bright light wavered from beyond your reach, you getting closer and closer to it. You felt the cold suddenly be washed away by an intense heat, the light burning your corneas. You squinted the rest of the way from there, the light making you feel much safer. The icy chill of Waterfall was preferable to the intense heat of this landscape. You made your weak flames vanish, rolling up your sleeves to prevent you from overheating. You looked back over your shoulder, the dark walls of Waterfall far behind you. You delicately took out your map, marking the tunnels and the smaller details on it. You'd been in such a hurry that you missed some key points, but it was dark and you feared what was in it. You'd venture back during the daylight. The area that you were in now was bright and scorching, the walls glowing with the reddish tinted light of the magma... Magma? You anxiously peered over the steep walls, the rocks very warm on your paws. Yup. That was most definitely magma. You pulled your long and unkempt hair back, keeping it away from your face. The last thing you needed was to fall in the lava and die, so soon after the other.

You looked forward onto the new region. A mammoth-sized machine stood in the distance, a chilling hiss issuing from it. Heavy jets of steam filtered out of the top, the steam rolling together before fading out of existence. You'd now finished Waterfall so perhaps this was Hotland? It certainly fit the bill. So this was new... You pulled out more old paper, and with an inked quill at the ready, you hastily set off again...


	10. To Hotland, My Good Sir!

A Steamy Proposal

You had just made it out of Waterfall, the various welts from earlier flaring up at the intense heat. The heat was stifling, making you sneeze loudly before rubbing at your nose. It was hot. Way too hot. Your fur was burning, a thick band of sweat building at the base of your neck. You hardly ever noticed how much your senses were dulled before you bumped into something. Or more like someone. The individual had steadied you and backed up, the person being none other than Sans. He'd looked as if he'd just gotten up out of bed, the bags under his eye sockets darker than ever. Only your bags could rival his, as you hadn't truly slept in a while. The strong smell of ketchup and metal was stronger, making sure that his particular scent would stay in your roster forever.

"heya kiddo. you look like you've been busy." You tried to reply, but nothing came out. You tried again, this time, a small whimper barely making it through. Your throat had begun to throb, and you started to panic. When did this happen?

"you alright there, bud?" You threw Sans the most sarcastic look, narrowing your amber eyes before you took out an extra piece of paper and your trusty quill. You'd began to write down something hastily, the inked quill flying over the paper. Checking it carefully, you flipped the paper around, showing it to the small skeleton.

"you... can't talk, huh?" You nodded, turning the paper back towards yourself.

"so you have to talk to me with just paper?" You nodded again, moving you left paw to your throat for exaggeration.

"so why can't you talk? _cat_ got your tongue?" You angrily shrugged, not even knowing the answer to that yourself. If you could reprimand Sans for his pun, you would have. But you couldn't due to your strange hinderance. You slowly looked back at him, only to see that Sans was closely studying your body. Shit. Your legs were out in the open, full of cuts and bruises, not to mention the reddened welts.

"you look real dinged up, kit. i take it that waterfall wasn't your cup of **sea?** " You groaned on the inside, moving a paw to hold your face, all the while, involuntarily giggling. It hurt your throat.

"so... **water** you planning to do now, kit? i **sea** that you've made it to hotland. i gotta say, i'm **surf** prised to see you that you actually made it through in one piece. **tide** must've underestimated you, as you seem to be fine. anything **fin** tresting happen in there?" You wanted to backhand Sans so hard right now, but you stopped yourself. You nodded, motioning to the cuts and bruises on your body with another obviously sarcastic look, a scowl portraying your open emotions.

"what happened to you?"

' _Tems'_ You'd scribbled hastily, flipping the parchment around to show him.

"seriously? the temmies did this to you?" You nodded, furiously writing the happenings of the last couple of hours on the large piece of paper, writing small as to fit all the words. You flipped around the paper, your frown deepening at his disbelieving smirk.

"oh really? kid, there's no way that the temmies did that to you. they're not cannibals, kid. they were probably worried about their friend." You almost screeched at him, heavily marking the paper in rebuttal.

' _They cost me a LIFE Sans. No matter how you look at THAT, that's still awry and terrible.'_ You flipped around the paper, showing Sans just how serious you were about those tems. You were never going in there again. As soon as he had begun to read it, a very worried expression came into view, the lights in his sockets dimming but not disappearing. You were crossing your bare arms, a 'what now?' expression playing on your own face.

"oh. so you're on your…?"

' _Seventh life now.'_ Losing another life in such a short span had taken a heavy toll on you, your magic becoming weaker and less effective for the time being. It would gain normal power later. Sans held the paper out to you, your paws taking the paper back.

"hey. i mean, i did warn you."

' _You didn't warn me of the barbarian temmies, nor did you warn me of how dark it gets in there at night.'_ You showed Sans the paper. He gave a deep chuckle and messed up your fluffy hair with his heated phalanges. Gosh darnit. You remembered what time it was and scribbled onto the paper again.

' _Speaking of which, why are you up so late? It's somewhere during the night in Waterfall. You can't really tell in Hotland...'_ Sans had read off the question carefully, stopping to think of an acceptable answer.

"couldn't sleep so i decided to take a walk."

' _Who takes walks late at night in a fiery hellhole? Not that I'm judging you or anything but aren't the others worried?'_ You could feel your throat slowly loosening, the pressure gone for now.

"nope." Welp. Okay.

"hey kid, i gotta question to ask you something serious. are you okay with that?" You slowly nodded, turning your body to face him, your ears pricked and at the ready. He looked torn between something, small beads of sweat that you didn't see before slowly rolling down his pearly white skull. His normal grin was still there, but more forced than usual.

"now i know that i'm probably overlooking this and all, but it's been stuck in my skull for the longest time... what i'm trying to ask is… um… where's your soul? i can't see it, no matter how hard i try and it's really starting to bug me." His eyes were staring holes into your chest, his hands beginning to fumble with the corners of the ignored paper that he was harshly gripping. You remembered back to that icy night in Snowdin when you, Sans, and Frisk were walking back to his home from Grillbys. You'd felt eyes burning into your chest, but you'd looked at the two. He didn't seem to be looking at the time… But he was. You had begun to sweat, not from the heat, no. The tension quickly began to amplify, so thick you couldn't slice it with a sharp knife. You attempted to grab the piece of paper from him, the paper slowly sliding out, but to no avail. It wasn't going anywhere. You had hastily cleared your throat and spoke with words that were so quiet and hoarse that you had to strain yourself harshly to speak normally.

"I have a soul. Two to be precise, but nobody except myself can see them. It's in its normal place. Right here." You put your right paw over the center of your chest, trembling and trying not to lose your cool. It was time for the truth. You'd gone far enough.

"two? h-how?"

"A birth mutation. I just happened to be born with two. One monster, one human." The lights of his eyes had immediately dimmed to nothing when you mentioned the human soul. This was it. This was where everything would change.

"...stats."

"Wha-"

"i need to see your stats." His voice had lost it's calm and laid back attitude, sharpening in a seriousness that you'd never heard before. You placed your paw over your heart, closing your eyes, your black claws sinking into your sweater. You could hear your rapid heartbeat beating hard and fast. You felt your SOULS, the two of them pulsing gently. You gave a gentle tug, a sharp pressure in your chest appearing before slowly vanishing.

In front of you floated two SOULs, one, a stormy gray monster soul, the contents displaying a grim secret. The human soul had changed, the flames from inside had whittled down to become weaker, a faint green glow shining from the inside, contained by the thick glassy covering. You pressed against both SOULS, a menu of stats hovering above. Sans had immediately snapped his eyes onto the menu scanning if for something abnormal. He had found it, a crazy grin illuminating his features.

NAME: HAZEL (LION)

Hp: 700

LV: 17

EXP: 24,573

TO THE NEXT LV: 1,098

ATK: 80 DEF: 80

SPK: 100 SPD: 120

EVADE: 50 ACC: 90

"TOUGHER THAN YOU THINK."

You took a heavy step back, Sans's single blue iris illuminating quickly. The atmosphere had suddenly gone cold, a sinister air to this entire ordeal. He was getting ready to attack and you knew why.

"Wait! Now I know what you're going to say and do, but I'm asking you to hear me out. I DO have a reason for having so much LV. If you attack me now, it'll be in vain, seeing as how I'll just respawn again…"

"why should i? a level of violence that high only comes with people who've done unspeakable things…" His voice had turned much colder, you taking a step back towards the cliff.

"Okay, so I've done some things to get me here, but if you'd stop going crazy on me, then we could talk this out. I have three good explanations for my LV and if you're not going to listen, then I'll just abscond and leave this to another day. Hunt me down all you want but you'll never find me." Sans was strangely quiet, the hiss of the machine echoing loudly. He slowly eyed you with his single cyan eye, a challenging gaze to it.

"...fine. i'm listening…"

"Well here goes nothing.. Reason number one: as you know, I have a boss monster SOUL. It's not supposed to be this dark, though. My level of violence passed down onto me from my parents who've had to endure a lot of hardships in their prime. Now is the time to ask questions, as I have two more reasons for you not to violently murder me!"

"..so you're a boss monster huh? that monster soul you have _**is**_ much darker than the normal boss monster SOUL, and only boss monsters have a difference in shades… the darker the shade, the darker the monster... so explain to me how this is possible when the only boss monsters down here are the king and the queen..." You fucking knew that he'd ask this question. Welp. They say that the truth will set you free. Might as well start flapping your gums.

"Okay… I'll ask you a question that has to do with my second reason.. Would you believe me if I said that I'm from the surface?"

"no."

"Okay then… This is going to make things a lot harder. If you remember the great war hundreds of years ago, you would know that humans sealed monsters underneath the mountain, correct?"

"what does that have to do with your SOUL?" He snapped.

"Well, just because they sealed monsters underneath the mountain, doesn't mean that they sealed ALL of them... " At this, his gaze had hardened, a curious but intense glare holding on your amber eyes.

"...go on…"

"When the human mages 'trapped' the monsters under the mountain, they didn't trap all of them. The majority, sure. But they failed to remember that there were many monsters that were spread out across the world. This is where my SOUL comes into accordance."

"..."

"Those rogue monsters who didn't show themselves had lived on the surface fighting to survive amongst a world where the humans dominated. A war went and passed. The monsters dwindled to a small amount. My parents happened to be the only pair left. They'd lived for hundreds of years, killing multiple humans just to go on living. And when I mean hundreds, I mean hundreds."

"..."

"What I'm trying to say is that my parents had done most of the killing and the mass build up of LV had passed down onto me when I was born. That doesn't mean that I'm innocent, as I've killed a couple of humans in my youth. I mean, what would you do if your life was threatened by billions of humans who wanted nothing more than to skin you and make a nice carpet out of your fur? But since you don't have fur, they could use your bones for medicine. The humans that surrounded us were merciless, Sans. If you had been born on the surface, you'd know…" You had involuntarily eased up, a wistful gaze settling over your eyes.

"...so you killed to live..?"

"On the surface, it's kill or be killed. Quite literally for monsters such as myself. It was like clockwork, day in day out. Humans were constantly seeking us out with their firearms, a grim reminder that we weren't safe in our own home. Poisoned bait, fox traps, bear traps, guns, etcetera. You name it, the humans used it against us. They tried to KILL us, Sans. For what, I have no idea."

"..."

"And I know that that's no excuse… And that you think that I'm going to attack Frisk now. But I won't… I only did what I did because I loved my parents and they loved me. We protected each other to survive. To pass on the story of the monsters who came so far only to fail… Tell me Sans… What would you do if you were in my place?"

"what do you mean by that?" He still hadn't eased up his stance, a heavy bout of gravity making you take a knee. You wearily gazed up at him, a sad smile grazing over your muzzle.

"What would you do if you and Papyrus were the last rogue monsters on the surface? If you were surrounded by billions of monsters who wanted nothing more than to kill you, and keep in mind that they could at any time, magic or not. What would you do if death awaited you around every corner, every minute of the day? What would you do if malevolent humans came into your home, intent on finding you.. or Papyrus..? Would you remain calm? Or would you protect Papyrus from these humans? Keep in mind that humans will go out of their way to kill. For no good reason too…"

"..."

"If you were in my shoes, do you think that i'd take pride in knowing that I have the blood of many humans on my paws? Because I certainly don't. My parents weren't merciless either. Hell, we were thinking of just retreating into the mountain…. But we didn't. We WANTED to remain on the surface. It was better than being caged under a giant forsaken mountain! But now that I'm not up there anymore, I don't have to constantly be on my toes. I don't have to look over my shoulder wondering if a human is pointing a gun to my head from the shadows. And it's nice… Not having to be hostile all the time. So kill me if you want, but that's not going to do anything. Trust me. I know..."

Sans had carefully eyed your stormy gray SOUL, his eyes slightly softening as they came to rest on your human SOUL. That faint glimmer of emerald green could only indicate one trait: kindness. But it was so perfectly hidden by the dancing golden flames that he couldn't see it anymore.

"...fine. i'm choosing to believe you for now. give me one reason as to why i should kill you and i will…"

"Wow. Way to bring the tension, Sans. Oh yeah! Reason number three! You're gonna love this one. Remember that human you were looking for the that day we met? When you'd asked me if I saw anything strange around Snowdin?" You saw him narrow his eye sockets at you, his cyan irises searching for… something.

"Well, that 'human' was me. Well, not necessarily a human, but a fairly convincing one, seeing as how you guys bought into it! Speaking of which, is that search party still searching?"

"...why should i believe you?"

"Well, I _was_ the one who skipped some puzzles, left the huge water puddles all over the ground, stepped in the golden flowers, ran through the tight corridors, melted the brass hinges of Toriel's door off, messed up the carpet of the stairs, opened not one but TWO doors and fled through the Snowdin gate. And if that's not convincing enough, I can describe every step of my journey here. Even that small conversation that you guys had held in that dead end room. I was listening by the way. You guys just didn't notice me. I was literally hanging from the walls, and let me tell you-"

"okay. stop. stop... just.." Sans had closed his eye sockets firmly, his thick phalanges pressed thoughtfully against his mandible. He'd stopped sweating, the light of the magma shining on his skull.

"so you fell from the surface?"

"Well, not entirely _fell_. I was deliberately pushed by something into the hole. But yes, I deliberately came to the mountain. Why do you ask?"

"why would you come to a mountain where children go missing, not to mention that you just said that you would never retreat into the underground?"

"It was my parent's final wish before they died on the surface. To retreat to the mountain, so that I wouldn't have to deal with the humans alone. It'd be too much to handle, seeing as home humans are constantly invading my home 24/7."

"wait a second. with all those humans on the surface, there had to be some good ones... you or your parents could've brought seven SOULs to the king... well, why not? why keep us in the dark for so long?" Ah. You were afraid of this question. You knew that the monsters would get mad at your parent's selfish act. Sigh. Here goes.

"My parents didn't free the monsters because of the distortion in the time span. Humans still knew of monsters and were murdering the masses even as the majority were trapped underground. Since nobody wanted to come down here, they preyed on us instead. Freeing you guys would've just brought more bloodshed than necessary. They wanted to wait until the humans were less viscous,but that day never came. Even if it did, we couldn't even get the necessary materials, none of the humans having the desired traits of DETERMINATION, KINDNESS, and PATIENCE. They were rare SOULs to find, and the majority of ours were BRAVERY, PERSEVERANCE, and a few humans with JUSTICE. We wanted to help really, but they knew the consequences. And besides. We can't just go walking into a human civilization and say 'hey, we came here to take your SOULs, prepare to die' could we? The humans would've annihilated us with their advanced nuclear technology. That was a no go."

Your amber eyes had clouded over, remembering that the humans had finally had their day eight years ago. When the incident occurred all those years ago… You looked towards Sans. He was angry, wasn't he? He was going to hit you, wasn't he? He was gonna declare that the long imprisonment of the monsters was all your fault. That you could've done SOMETHING. ANYTHING...The truth hurt. It cut deep scars in your SOULs. You knew what was gonna happen next.

You crouched down, picking up the abandoned piece of paper and quill that was lying on the ground. Sans looked torn between something, as if he was trying to piece together something but he just couldn't. You threw one last reprimanding look at him before leaving. You hastily padded past him, inhaling the stifling scent of Hotland. A set of hardened phalanges wrapping around your shoulder had held you in place.

"wait."

"That's what I'm doing now. What?"

"just-"

"That's the truth, Sans. There is no supposed 'human' running amok in the Underground. That was just me. I'm from the surface and now I'm down here. I'm sorry if I caused you guys to panic or get your hopes up. But that's the hard truth. If you don't like it, then kill me." You murmured quietly.

"but _why_ though? you have the duo of needed souls to cross the barrier... why would you come down here, knowing the situation as it is?"

"I told you. My parents didn't want me to fall to the humans after they'd perished so they wished for me to rejoin with the monsters. Simple as that. And I didn't know the situation of the monsters. If I would've know the monster's situation, then I would have come clean instead of scrambling around the Underground thinking that the monsters following me were monster-eating cannibals."

"...don't you want to go back? surely it's much better up there..?"

"No. Not really in my eyes. Despite the situation down here, it's a lot more peaceful down here, despite the bad parts. To me, this place is like a safe haven, but to the locals, it's like a maze with no way out. I get why you'd ask me that question, and I know that your outlook on the underground isn't so great. But the surface isn't all that happy and great as monsters make it to be. You've heard what I told you: humans were constantly attacking and killing us. It's like retiring after a long bout of war. And if somehow, the barrier is broken, you'll see what I mean when you get up there." You gazed away from the shocked skeleton, your dark amber eyes sadly roaming over the bubbling magma.

"And it's not like I could be of help. My soul IS useless. It's a positive negative soul. I can't absorb anybody's souls nor can anybody absorb mine. That's my life for ya. Nothing but a…" You wanted to finish that sentence with 'mistake'. Or perhaps 'joke' would better fit the situation.

"... a joke… I can't do anything to help you. I'm sorry..." You were no help to the monsters, your parents, no one. You couldn't do a damn thing but cower and hide behind your magic and your extended lives, the only things which got you this far. To the monsters, you were just a tease, as you could travel between both dimensions easily.

"You should get home... The morning will be here soon… I should get going too.. I have a lot of work to do today." You started off again, interrupted by Sans calling you back.

"kid.."

"Yeah?" You were so ready to walk away, to be done with the truth and to be free from your burdens, but after this, you'd just be alone with more work to do.

"you said it was just you, right. you're... by yourself..?"

"Huzzah. You finally figured it out. Yeah.. I don't exactly have relatives in the Underground. They all died on the surface… So yeah, I'm by myself."

"so just where exactly are you heading to?"

"I don't really know Sans. I just want to map out the Underground before I do anything else."

"ya' know, if you don't have a place to stay, which i now know that you don't, you could always come and stay with me and papyrus. everybody misses you, and Tori's worried sick about you. they've been keeping an eye out for you ever since you disappeared during that snow fight..."

"I really doubt that. And besides. I prefer to be by myself. Just tell them all that you saw me around Hotland and that I'm doing just fine and dandy. There's literally nothing of importance going on out here..."

"...but can you consider it? where are you going to go after your map is completed?"

"I don't know, nor do I care. I don't want anybody's pity as I learned that empathy towards helplessness will get you nowhere. I'll just stick it out afterwards and see where it leads me. After all, I've gotten this far. Who's to say that I can't stick it out until the end?"

"that's a really bad idea, kid."

"I know, but what other choice do I have? It's not like they gave me specific instructions when they burned to death! They just told me to go down to the mountain! To rejoin my kin or whatever the heck that means! And it means absolutely nothing. I'm here and I regret nothing. I'll just go with the flow." You were getting impatient. The tension was rising higher and higher. You liked to be independent and hated the looks of pity that your parents gave you when you were in your helpless act of learning magic. It left a mental scar on your cautiousness. You'd be fine on your own...

"and after that?"

"I don't know! Build a house or something! It doesn't even matter right now."

"..where have you been sleeping?" His question was suddenly abrupt, branching off of the main questions.

"Haven't slept at all. I've been on my feet ever since I left your house, not counting that igloo because that was just a nap."

"igloo? i had a feeling that you were behind that.."

"It's hidden somewhere in the woods. You found it?"

"yeah, but you're killing me here, kid."

"Hey! I never asked you to listen to my present woes! I'm doing perfectly fine on my own! Despite the cuts and bruises, I'm still alive and kicking!"

"yeah, but you've already lost two lives. what about the others?" You went very quiet at that… You weren't exactly sure what was lying ahead. You made it through the Ruins, Snowdin, and now Waterfall... You could handle yourself. Even if that meant losing a life.

"all i'm tryin' to say is... _take care of yourself_ , kid. you may think you're all alone in this world and that you'll be fine on your own, but you've got friends to fall back on... dying is nothing to brag about… if you ever need anything, you know where to find us."

"I know but-" You didn't get to finish. Sans had wrapped you in a tight hug, the exterior of his jacket warm and the pungent smell of ketchup stronger than before. You gradually gave into the hug, absentmindedly falling limp in his grasp.

"what the-"

"Woops! Sorry about that. I don't often give people hugs, so it happens." He'd gone silent, and after a few more uncomfortable seconds, he'd let go. You just shrugged it off and hitched your paws in your sweater pocket, a nonchalant expression covering up your true emotions and acting as a facade.

"welp. see ya around, kit." And with that, he was gone. You weren't sure where he went or just how fast this skeleton could move… You were now all by yourself, the hissing background of Hotland fading back into your senses. The impact of his words had cut into you. Hard. You didn't like using the word _friend_. It was a misused word, one often betraying the other. You didn't mind if he told the others what you'd told him. You would certainly regret it once they would start smothering you with pity. It was just… you didn't want to count on anybody for your survival. You had gone through your entire life knowing that you were supposed to have your own back. Trust nobody but yourself… But he was just so _thorough_ in assuring you of his assistance that it stung like lemon juice in fresh cuts. You kept pushing everybody away when really, they just wanted to help you. That they were genuinely concerned for you was a huge turnabout… You didn't want anybody coming over your bridge… They didn't need to know what happened during those solitary eight years… They would NEVER know.. You turned your back on the exit of Waterfall, a dull heat washing over your fur. You felt a little better, the half-truth of your background being put into the open... It lifted some of the weight that had weighed you down, off of your shoulders.

You realized that he was being dead serious during your conversation. Not once in that conversation did he use a pun, the introduction being excluded. And yet, even after he'd seen your level of violence… how much of a _monster_ that you could really be… he didn't kill you. You couldn't smile, not at the moment at least. What _were_ you gonna do when you were finished with your map? You _could_ build a house, but... where? Not to mention that buying the land, and the cost of supplies would be expensive. You cautiously checked your current currency. You had somewhere around eight hundred gold stashed in the right pocket of your shorts. You didn't know how much a plot of land would cost and more importantly, how would you pay for other things down here? The only thing that you'd bought had been some paper and some quills.

You hastily plunged your paw into your sweater, taking out your long map and unfurling it. Taking out some extra pieces of paper, you carefully melted the pieces together. Your map was as long as you were tall, about five feet with some slack. The extra pieces had now tacked on another foot, the slack elegantly draped across the dusty ground. You had written down the details of your surroundings on the extended pages and rolled it back up. Sticking it bag in your huge sweater pocket, you hooked your thumbs in the pockets of your shorts and gazed out at the bed of magma. The darkness of Waterfall was starting to clear up, daytime on the rise. You turned on your heel, setting forward towards the heated terrain on the further side.

 _What were you gonna do?_


	11. Dust In The Elevator

Dusty Runes And An Old Key

You'd hastily left the meeting place behind, continuing along the heated path towards the interior of Hotland. You dizzily looked out towards the bright horizon, a giant steel machine resting in the middle of the bubbling magma lake. Coincidentally, the whole reason that you were here was to map everything, so you would have to find out more about what that machine was before you left. The magma boiled and bubbled far below, a few random sparks popping out to heat up the stifling air. The intense light was blinding, you having to squint your eyes harshly to see a few paces away in front of you. How anyone could live here was befuddling. You did see miniature cobblestone houses on the ledges over the magma. The locals had to have some degree of heat resistance because there was no way that you could live here. Great... It was either your fate to be burned to death or being killed by the rampant locals. The humongous machine in the distance gave a loud hiss, steam rising out of the vents.

You weren't exactly sure what it did to help the Underground, so it was best not to question it anymore. That left you with a heavy pawful of decisions: what you could and could not map. There was no sensible way to get directly across the lake, not without suffering a fiery gruesome death, that is. You sighed. The path seemed to go on forever. Up ahead, you spotted a lone wooden sentry station, which mysteriously had a huge pile of snow gathering on its roof. How was it not melting in this intense heat? How were you not melting?

The chaffing of your thin shorts did not in any way help, as it irritated your wounds even more. You could feel thick beads of sweat roll between your fur, dripping slowly off of your body. As soon as it hit the ground, it evaporated immediately, leaving a salty tang in the air. You were panting heavily, your breaths becoming even more shortened and thickened. You wanted to map this place and get out, as soon as possible.

The cavern seemed to be even bigger than Waterfall and Snowdin combined. Huge stone bridges lay in the distance, each separated by a whole floor of space. The elevators that they connected to seemed to go multiple ways, as an elevator had just shot to the northeast a couple of seconds ago . Huh. That was new.

As you looked more carefully at your surroundings, you saw huge jutting pillars of rock, some quiet while others were exploding with hot steam, the gas hurriedly shooting out from the tops. Yikes.

You continued forward, coming to a distinct four-way. Each exit was separated by tiny streams of magma, the majority seeping from the lake. Some looked close to overflowing. The one to your left led to an elevator. You walked slowly up towards the metal elevator, determined to get as far away from the magma lake as possible. The elevator didn't open at first, a small message blinking on a translucent interface in front of the door.

"eRROr! Elevators are currently out of order! Please relocate to Sector 23! Repeat: eRROr! Elevators are currently out of order! Please relocate to Sector 23!" The loud robotic voice of the intercom had made you jump unexpectedly. You didn't expect that. Perhaps it was just an error in the mechanics or something. You turned to leave, but you felt something on your paws. Something sinister… and powdery. You looked closely at the doors of the elevator and spotted something leaking out of the bottom of the doors. It looked to be of a dusty material, loose and still spilling forth from under the door. No. It wasn't dusty _material_. That was _dust_. _Monster_ dust… Something horrible had happened here.

"No! Please I-" A sobbing cry sounded from far behind you, the voice thick with grief and mourning. It was pleading and yet… unpleasant. You turned on your heel and ran, instantly locating the voice across the corner.

"Silence! Accept your sins, you wretched whelp!" There were two voices that replied, both distinctly deep and synched at the same time. They sounded hollow, as if they'd gone through the same song and dance over and over again.

"Please! You have to believe me! I-I didn't-" The pleading voice was cut off, the sound of something sharp slicing through the air. You ran faster towards the commotion, your head in a frightful panic. The last time when you'd heard something like that was when… And then you stopped. It was much too late for investigation. There was an ear-piercing caterwaul and then immediate silence. The sound of filtering dust ripped through the quiet room, the other sound of iron clanking against rock following suit. You couldn't hide anywhere but the obvious. You hastily stepped to the side, swinging your legs over the cliff and slowly slid down, your claws firmly fixed into the wall. You were hidden from view entirely, the feeling of burning flesh more obvious than before. But you had to hang in there.

Two figures had walked by, both clad in heavy iron armor with large double-sided blades in their hands. They looked unbelievably tough, and one had a bit of dust on the edge of his blade. One had pulled off their helmets, a cat monster peering out onto the magma. The monster had coarse black fur with icy blue eyes, his tall ears being heavily scarred. He gave a devious smile, his long, jagged teeth yellow from miscare.

"More and more monsters are sinning these days, huh Red?" The cat monster had blearily croaked, eyeing the person next to him. He slowly took out a large white cloth and wiped the dust off of his blade, a sinister look building in his piercing blue eyes. The other monster, apparently Red, had now taken off his helmet. The two looked a lot alike. He had similar coarse black fur like his friend, but his eyes were a dark ruby red, almost as dark as the blood of a human. He looked extremely nervous standing next to his comrade, stepping anxiously from one paw onto another.

"Y-yeah. There s-sure is, h-huh Blue." You knew that he was faltering, his feet never stopping once. Blue had finished wiping his blade clean, tossing the overly dusty rag into the sizzling magma lake. The cloth had sailed over your head and had collided with the surface of the lake. It sizzled and crackled with the heat before slowly sinking underneath into the depths. Blue had given a hearty chuckle as he watched the cloth burn up.

"We gotta show the monsters that they gotta keep a level head, ya' know? What, with all the' problems we're facing these days, the going gets a little more harder every day, huh Red?" You sincerely doubted that. Not once did Blue frown at the prospect of murdering in cold blood. Hell, you even saw him grin a little wider as he cleaned the dust off his blade just a while ago. Blue had stuck the sharp blade back into its sheath, as did Red. You were sure that the monster you saw from before wasn't doing anything that could reward in such a gruesome death. It was then that you noticed Red's state: Big tears had went unnoticed by his cackling partner. They rolled down his cheeks in heavy waves, falling quickly into the lake below. His eyes had huge bags underneath them, said eyes filled with fear and angst. He was sweating harder. He kept eyeing Blue, as if his partner would strike him or push him into the lake at any given moment. You felt remorse for the poor cat monster who was probably forced by his partner to commit the murder.

"A-aye."

"Well, we best be off. The royal guards will get suspicious if we stick around the crime scene for too long. Go hide the bodies. I'll destroy the tapes in the lab." Blue had hastily set off, leaving poor Red all alone. The cat had slowly fell to his knees, the armor clinking loudly against the rocks. His desperate sobs now ripped through the air, the sad chokes filled with sorrow and grief. You wanted to console the monster, but if you tried to, you might suffer the same fate as the two victims.

You patiently waited for Red to dry his tears. He placed his heavy helmet back on, slowly making his way after Blue. The clanking of his armor slowly faded into static. You hastily unhooked yourself from the wall, climbing back up its rocky surface and rolling onto the level ground. Your calves were cooking. What was that whole ordeal all about? You decided not to pry.

Getting to your paws, you continued the way you came, heading to your right this time, only to come to an empty dock. Stange. You don't remember this weird cavern being here. The rocky walls strongly represented the ones back in Waterfall. That and the fact that there was water in here. The icy waves were rough and frantically slapped against the rocky bank. It seemed to be much cooler in here, the river wrapping around the cavern walls and back towards wherever it went to. Probably towards Waterfall. You really didn't want to leave this room, the cold seeping into your sweater. Whatever was out there was bad, and you knew that you shouldn't get involved. Still...

You headed out of the river room, going to your right. Faint piles of dust littered the ground, all seeming to lead to a large building. The structure was seemingly out of place, some of the edges built off of the cliff. That was dangerous. You didn't know where Sector 23 was, and you weren't sure if you should go back the way you came or persist. You decided to go with the latter, walking up to the strange metal building. It seemed to be some sort of gateway and a lab built together, a lone camera fixed onto you. The camera immediately shut off and the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps sounded inside. You had to lie again, for the greater good. You gulped, wiping the sweat out of your fur and adjusting yourself to a sturdy and fixated position. If he questioned you, you'd only ask about the elevators.

The steel lab doors quickly slid open, revealing the shifty guard from earlier, his armor much shinier than before. His blade had been hastily drawn, held firmly in his left paw. His electric blue eyes had swept over your form, his claws unknowingly sliding out. You noticed this immediately and drew out your own.

"What is your business here?" Ah. This was Blue.

"This IS a passageway, right?" You felt his beady blue eyes fix themselves onto yours, his blood-thirsty stare cutting into your head.

"It isn't. This is a lab." Way to state the obvious, genius.

"Do you know where Sector 23 is? I tried to take the elevators but it just said to go to Sector 23. I'm not from around here and I need to go home." That was a bold-faced lie right there, but maybe it could work.

"Oh? You're from the capital, lass? What're ya' doin so far from home then? In dark times like this too..."

"I was visiting close friends in Snowdin and had to go home before it got too dark. The elevators don't work now..."

"I see." Blue motioned you inside, the inside corridor well lit with bits of paper haphazardly tossed about the place. It was very cold inside, the temperature similar to the cold atmosphere of the river room. An elevator inside the lab had clicked into place, Red stepping out looking somewhat disheveled.

"Oi! Red! You've got perfect timing!"

"Y-yes Blue? D-do you n-need something?" You weren't sure as to why Red was even here, let alone in the royal guard. He seemed to stammer constantly, clearly not having the tone of an official guard, but you were in no position to judge. He could have to skills to kick you in the throat for all that you knew.

"Take the lass to Sector 23! Back to the capital."

"Y-yes Blue." Red had hastily come to stand beside you, his armor now fully back on. You could still feel the anxiety rolling off the guy. He didn't want to be anywhere near you. You could reciprocate, as you didn't like people either. Red had nervously motioned for you to follow, him leading the way out through the other door. You glanced sideways to look at the elevator as you left. It had a small panel next to it with various buttons. The strange thing was that the panel had depicted a squat lizard monster in the place of both genders. That lizard monster looked a lot like Alphys...

The lab doors had slid open, the hot air hitting you like a brick. You grumbled angrily to yourself, already disliking this place by every waking moment.

"W-what's wrong?" Red had decided to pipe up, his helmet turning to look down at you. The guy held two heads of height on you, giving him an advantage... But he was just very nervous. You didn't know if he killed the monster from earlier. You knew that Blue certainly did. You decided to make small talk, even though you hated it.

"I wish I didn't have to come to Hotland just to take the boat to the other regions. It's way too hot here. I'm cooking in my skin like a rotisserie chicken!" That was true, and the abundance of sweat covering your small frame was evidence enough.

"I-I know the f-feeling."

"How can you walk in that heavy suit of armor? You must be roasting alive in there, twice as much as me." The armor that covered Red's body was heavy and thick, shiny with polishing oil. Someone was certainly busy during those few minutes between.

"W-well, we have to take water with us so that we d-don't overheat. W-we can't t-take our armor off o-or else we'll be p-punished."

"Well, that blows." You heard the faintest of laughs from the monster beside you, who silenced them as soon as you looked his way.

"I-it's not that bad here, actually."

"I don't think I could ever live here. The atmosphere is stifling, but hey, at least you're never cold!"

"I'd rather be cold, then hot. If I could take this armor off I would but…" Red had stopped stuttering completely, his steps less hesitant.

"Let me guess. Job issues?"

"Yeah. Ever since the malfunction with the barrier, some monsters have made some very bad decisions. Some just do petty crimes, like stealing or and breaking and entering. Others, not so much. We can't take off any of our gear in the open, mostly because of monster protesters protesting against the charges of some monster crimes. If we exposed ourselves, we'd be put in danger of the troublesome monsters." You could see where he was going with this, and you understood the problem at hand. What he said next had surprised you.

"Some have even gone as far as taking the lives of other monsters. The attacks are useless as the SOUL would just fade away at death, and monster souls can't absorb monster souls. Some can't take the struggle and just kill themselves. The toll is high, and most monster's hope is very low. We're trying to do the best we can... About the problem with the elevators… I feel like I can trust you with this... Earlier, we had a call about a rogue Pyrope who'd brutally murdered a Vulkin. The guy tried to play it off as innocent, but the dust on his shoes proved to be a different story entirely. We had to cut him down."

Ah. You had it wrong this whole time. The victim was the murderer and the guards were just doing their job. The dust in the elevator must've been the real victim of the script all along. So Blue wasn't a cold-blooded murderer. He was just doing his job. But the question is, why was he smiling at the dust? And why were there two bodies? Monsters turn to dust when they die, so a monster corpse was impossible to gather. Unless there was another positive-negative SOUL out there, but you highly doubted it.

"Ah. So that's what the dust was... Anyway, where IS Sector 23? Is it a bunker or something?"

"Something like that. For civilian protection, we moved all monsters in the area to level three of Hotland. It's a small courtyard, but it will fit most of the monsters in Hotland." You had thought of your friend, Alphys. Was she included in the group? You slowly noticed that the bridges above you had elevated some, and multiple rocky islands were coming into view.

"Speaking of which, I thought Riverman was back in Snowdin?"

"Riverman? I don't know who he is. I walked here from Snowdin."

"You what?!" Even though you couldn't see his face, you could tell that he was surprised. Why was everyone always surprised on how far you came from, on foot at that.

"Yeah. I just walked. I mean, I took a boat in the middle of Waterfall, but I never took a river route. I normally just walk everywhere. Getting a real workout."

"Heh. I bet."

"What? You doubt my leg muscles?" You were becoming way too buddy-buddy with this guy, but it was getting you somewhere.

"The only person I know that had luxurious gams is Mettaton. Those legs are a fine piece of art. You know, you remind me of my brother."

"Your brother? How so? Or do you mean that other guard back there?"

"Who? Oh! You mean Blue? Nah. Not him. We're just cousins. I haven't seen my older brother in hundreds of years. I think he passed on but I'm not entirely sure."

"Wait a second. You said that you haven't seen your brother in HUNDREDS of years?" Red had instantly turned his head, a thick bead of sweat rolling through his fur.

"If that's the case, then you've been alive for hundreds of years! Are you a boss monster?"

"Y-yes… Yes I am. I lost my brother hundreds of years ago during the great war between humans and monsters. I didn't fight the humans. I worked behind the scenes, creating poisons, and harvesting the leftover SOULs. My brother, on the other hand, was rebelling against the humans. He was really cool. Strict and stern, but really cool."

"So you lost him during the war?"

"Yeah. After the humans had trapped us down here, Blue and I couldn't find him. We'd lost our parents to the humans before the war had even started. My brother, not Blue, had taken over for them before everything had went wrong. We all had nicknames according to our eyes. You already know that I'm Red and that grouchy customer back in the lab is Blue. But my brother had gained my father's eyes. His nickname was Yellow. After the war, Blue and I had searched high and low, but we couldn't find him. We just drew it up towards Yellow getting stuck on the surface."

"Stuck on the surface? Hold up." There were a few gears that were turning in your head, an answer to his thoughts dancing on the tip of your tongue.

"Well that's what Blue and I think. Yellow was much older than us two at the time. He was the royal scientist too! I always looked up to him too. Ever since he disappeared, Blue has been getting crabbier. He used to be cool, but now.." You had stopped abruptly in your tracks, the gears spinning. Of course.

"Hey Red. Tell me something. What was Yellow's real name?"

"His real name? Well that's easy! We were all named after our magic. Apart from Blue, though. His real name was Lynn, but he preferred to go by the alias, Lightning."

"Lightning huh? Hey Red. Can I tell you something? Something that might have to do with your brother?" His eyes were immediately on you. You swallowed hard and looked him dead in the eye.

"Your brother. He's really tall, right? Black fur? Bright amber eyes like mine? Well, guess what? Your brother is my dad…"

"What." Red had silently stared at you, a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Yep. Since I've told you that, I might as well tell you something else: I'm from the surface. Now I know that that's pretty hard to believe, but I know your brother, considering that you just said that you remind me of him and that he IS my dad."

"Challenge accepted. Prove it. What are his two favorite colors?"

"Periwinkle and fuschia. Make the questions harder so that you know that I'm not joshing you."

"Fine. Name Lightning's two favorite elements on the periodic table."

"Ruthenium and Arsenic." Your father had loved to drill you on science, and he CONSTANTLY brought up these two elements when he talked about chemicals.

"You're good. Alright then. Last three questions. One: what is Lynn's darkest fear?"

"He has a fear of venomous spiders that disappear under his bed. He'll get somebody else to swat them down." Red was looking fairly impressed, a challenging gleam in his red eyes. You shrugged and hitched your paws in your sweater pocket, your claws sheathing themselves after so long.

"Correct. Question number two: what does Lynn always warn people about?"

"Easy. Getting gang-banged by wizards. Trust me when I say that we always joked about it when we left the house."

"Also correct. Last question, the hardest of them all: who was Lynn's mortal enemy?"

"Seriously? My mother. Melissa was her name. How's that? Did I pass your quiz?"

"That's a bunch of baloney. And yes, you did pass. But say that again, though."

"What? Gang-banged by wizards?" Red gave a slight snort, a quiet chuckle issuing from his muzzle.

"No! Not that, sheesh! He must've really drilled it into you, huh? I mean the part about his mortal enemy."

"My mom, you mean? Light brown fur, curly caramel hair, short ears and tail, light blue eyes? Am I fitting the description?"

"You are. It's spot on. Why on earth would he marry his enemy? That doesn't make any sense at all." You sadly patted him on the shoulder.

"I know. I didn't understand it either. But he did. He has said it a million times that he didn't regret it."

"Didn't? Said? What do you mean by that…?" You failed to stifle a heavy sigh, mournfully looking towards the ground.

"It HAS been a long time. The two of them were alive for a VERY long time, but they passed away eight years ago. Well, more like burned to death. Humans burned them to death. They told me to come down here, so I did just that. There you have it." It had gone silent, the only sound being that of the steaming vents.

"So the two of them are… they're dead, aren't they?"

"Yeah. Sad that it wasn't a peaceful death, but they're gone."

"Guess I get to be the alpha sibling now, eh?"

"Wait what?" The two of you had suddenly resumed walking again, Red's attitude becoming nonchalant and peaceful. The two of you had suddenly hit a conveyer belt, your claws digging into the moving mat. Red did the same to steady himself.

"If he's not on the surface, then he's in a much more peaceful place than we could imagine. I was the second child while Lynn was the first. I always thought that he'd live longer than me. I was reckless and liked to do things the hard way. Blue always watched from the sidelines. Guess I can finally put my thoughts at rest now." You sadly glanced at him, asking another question.

"So you're not sad?"

"Oh no. I'm pretty sad, but you know how it is since you come from my brother: best leave the emotions alone 'till private time." Red was right. You gave a quiet chuckle, matching your pace with his.

"That's right. Say, you won't tell anybody about what I just said, right?"

"Yup. I won't tell a soul."

"Good, because my friends have already needled it out of me and I hate having to explain myself twice. Anyway, who's Mettaton again?" Red had resumed his speech about the glamorous robot, the topic heading steadily towards their legs.

At the end of his speech, Red had brought his black paws to his helmet and made a 'mwah' sound, bringing them away to give the 'ok' sign. You laughed a little. Who was Mettaton, and more importantly, just how fabulous were these legs? From the way that Red had described them, Mettaton was probably worth meeting. He'd described their personality as 'a family-sized bag of chips and then some'. You suddenly remembered your map, unfurling it out to the Hotland part. The only part that was filled was the long hallway where you'd bumped into Sans.

"What's that?" Red had pointed to the map, sneakily scanning it over with his ruby red eyes.

"It's a map!"

"What for?"

"Well, I don't get out much and I haven't been through the Underground yet. I only got here two days ago after all! So I figured that when I go somewhere new, I document it on my map so that I don't forget it!" You gave Red the map, him gingerly taking it out of your paws, as if he might tear it. You didn't tell the usual lie this time. He looked over it as you walked, another pathway coming into view.

"Well, color me impressed! You're really good at drawing, kid!" You shuffled shyly at his comment, not being good at taking compliments as most people could.

"Thank you!" Red had handed the map back to you. Just before you reached the edge, a random monster came hurtling at Red from behind. The monster was cloaked in heavy iron armor, the same kind as Red's. This one had his sword drawn and aiming straight for him. You tried to push Red out of the way, but he was already one step ahead of you, drawing his own sword and clashing with the cloaked monster.

"Go! I'll hold this one off! You get across the vents! Hurry kid!" You weren't sure what was going on but you quickly obeyed. You hastily rolled up your map and sprinted away from the skirmish. There were the steam vents from earlier. What you thought was hot steam was just random drafts of cool air that helped to cool down random passerbys. It wouldn't hurt you.

Without stopping, you threw yourself off of the cliff, landing on the top of the vent in front of you. With a powerful blast, it sent you into the sky and through the air. It had finally brought you onto the next air vent. And then the other. You heard a loud shout behind you followed by the clash of iron and the sound of an explosion. You tried to turn your head around, but the ground appeared much quicker than you had thought.

You heavily face-planted into rocks, some digging into your flesh. You didn't break anything but you had gotten your snout stuck in the gravel. It hurt a lot. With a strong heave, you unearthed your muzzle and got to your paws, the loud shouts from earlier yelling at you to keep going, egging you on. You were quick on your paws, sad to leave Red behind like that, but eager to get out of imminent danger. An archway of the cavern had appeared and you went through. The next room had opened up in the same way, the same magma lake, but someone had decided that the view apparently wasn't enough and threw in some edgy lasers to spice things up a bit.

Apparently, the lasers were deactivated, some gathering standby dust while others were broken down, the metal frame melting from the intense heat. You timidly walked past the lasers, slowing to catch your breath. You hadn't ran like that since you had escaped your former prison.

That thought alone had brought you towards a whole new set of memories, each fresh in your mind, just like the gashes and cuts when your captors would beat you for no reason. You ran your paws through your unkempt hair, snagging them on a few tangles. It was really fluffy and was naturally unkempt. You patted your head one more time before turning the corner. There was another air vent straight, the direction of the vent changing every minute or so. Three exit ways to be seen: one was straight ahead, one to the left, and one to the right. The path to the north was blocked by an overly large stone door, which was locked and had two lightbulbs fixated to the sides. You took the left path, only to be greeted with more deactivated lasers. The silence had settled in again, the only noise filling the gap would be that of the hissing magma below. There was another room off of the room that you were in, a puzzle of sorts blaring on the translucent interface. There was a small paper note sitting on the dashboard, held down firmly with duct tape. You read the paper.

'SHOOT THE OPPOSING SHIP TO SOLVE THE PUZZLE!'

It seemed easy enough. There was an orange button, the label 'start' taped onto it. You pressed the button, a console jutting out from behind a white panel. It was a joystick with fingerprints all over it but it was in a well condition. You wrapped your paws anxiously around the joystick, the blocks in the puzzle moving to the left as you moved. It took a couple moves but you managed to shoot the opposing ship eventually. The opposing ship had exploded into tiny bits, and the intercom lit up with the words 'Congratulations! You solved the puzzle!'. You heard the sound of something unlock. A light bulb in the corner of the dashboard had lit up, a bright neon green light illuminating the room.

You disengaged the puzzle, the joystick going back to its place behind the dashboard. The path to the right had the same layout, this one more difficult than its friend. It took multiple times to get the solution before the other ship had fallen like its comrade. Once the other door had unlocked itself and the light came on, you left, going back down the path and up the north one. The door had lit up, green lights blinking and spazzing wildly to some beat that you couldn't hear. The door had begun to rattle, the hinges shaking violently before opening, revealing an empty hallway with more vents. When was this gonna end?

You took the vents down the hallway, stopping when you noticed a room severely out of place. It looked to be a kitchen, some tiles broken with tendrils of colorful wires strewn about. You walked past, eyes fixed ahead. You didn't stop to notice the piles of dust swept hastily behind the counters. It smelled of lemons and chemicals in here, a tang of acid heavy. You kept walking, stopping to stare at a mountain of wooden counters, each stacked higher and higher still. You couldn't even see the top. Who would do this?

You had exited the kitchen-like room, the scenes of Hotland coming back into view. The machine from the first room was a LOT closer now. You could see huge iron tubes sucking up the lava, the steam clouds bigger than you'd originally thought. Scratch that. The foundation of the cliff you were walking on had started to crumble, your paw getting stuck in the falling rubble. It had carried you off of the cliff and had tried to suck you into the boiling magma. You frantically hooked into the walls, your claws snagging on a jutting piece of rock. You hung limp from the rock, desperately trying not to lose your hold from the falling rocks. It had stopped. You had pressed your lower paws onto the rock walls, your claws catching onto something below. You had slowly looked down, your eyes catching on a rock that was a few shades darker than the rest. There was a small inlet in the rocks, a stone tablet of sorts sitting forlornly inside. You moved your position to the side, hanging on the wall and sliding downwards to meet the inlet.

You had decided to take the tablet with you, the weight of it being as light as a feather. A small golden key was attached to the left side of the tablet, held together with a band of thick silver chains. You took the small tablet in your jaws, your paws full with trying to keep you on the walls. You slowly climbed up, rolling onto the cliff ledge and away from the magma lake. Putting down the tablet, you dusted off your clothes and straightening your tail. Picking up the tablet, you inspected the strange writings. There were various scribbles written on its surface in some script that you couldn't decipher. The golden key attached to it looked old and beat up, it now swinging wildly from its chain. There was no way that you could put this in your pocket, as it would crush your map and obviously weigh down your sweater. You settled for carrying it, the tablet resting snugly in your paws.

Another elevator had come into view, this one not closed. It opened at your arrival, a panel of dulled buttons laying on the inside. As you got in, a button randomly clicked into place, the intercom stating it's destination.

'NOW GOING TO HOTLAND, LEVEL 2'

The elevator gave a sudden jerk and began to move upwards, your weight dropping to your haunches. There was no elevator music. Only the sounds of the elevator humming as it went along its rails. The elevator had stopped at said floor, the doors suddenly sliding open. A loud burst of noise had accompanied it as you stepped out. You looked to the right. Various monsters were gathered in a wide stone plaza, the only significant detail being another sentry station. This one, like the many others, had snow on it. You recognized Sans at his station along with Undyne, who was saying something to the group of monsters. They all looked fearful. So this was Sector 23. You could swear that you felt something watching you in the shadows.

You shrugged it off and continued, coming to the crowded clearing. There was enough room to part through the fearful monsters but you had to rest. All that climbing and falling had tuckered you out. You found a lone corner on the upper right and sat, your long legs dangling over the side off of the cliff. You had pulled out your map,and with a tight grip, you documented everything that you had seen on your way here, including that little inlet where you had found that tablet and the key. The two bulky items in which both were sitting next to you, had a certain aura to them. You felt as though it was something that needed to be kept a secret.

You had gotten up again after a few minutes, slipping easily through the crowd and away from the watchful eyes of your peers.

You'd gotten pretty far from the two by now, the stone courtyard far behind you. It wasn't that you had beef with Sans or anything but that last meeting had left something heavy sitting in your gut. You pushed the sinister thought away and continued onwards, the next section of Hotland coming into view.

The two had obviously seen you in the crowd, but you'd gotten lost within somewhere... It didn't take a genius to notice the bright sweater you had going on over there. Sans had kept a close eye socket on you, documenting what you were doing. Undyne could only watch from the corner of her eye, the one that wasn't under the eye patch.

You'd taken notice of the two as you came in, ignoring them completely and sitting on a lone cliff far away from the group. The two had watched as you slowly took out a long piece of parchment, the slack dangling precariously off of the cliff. Various notes and drawings were scribbled neatly in ink, some falling perfectly together while others were still missing pieces. You had added something new to the bottom right paper, heavily marking it with ink until you were satisfied. You had sighed and were now rolling it up and stuffing it back into your pocket with utmost care. Undyne was the first to point it out, the strange rectangular rock near your lap. Neither knew what it was, as the golden key fused to its side gave no clues. They watched as you suddenly stood up, turned on your heels, and faded slightly into the crowd.

However, they never saw you leave as a Vulkin had come up to the two.

"This is important! I can't find my sister! You gotta help me find my sister!" Undyne and Sans had heard of the murder earlier, refusing to tell the young Vulkin what had really happened. That would be bad as with so many civilians here, if Vulkin blew her top, many would get hurt.

They both knew of the new guards that were posted around the Underground. They took care of the troublesome incidents and shushed the public, but the other guards weren't too fond of their vicious ways and often ambushed them. They were only doing their job. There'd been way too much dust scattered, and with every day, more was added to the pile. Just how many lives would be lost before they could go free?

The two weren't so happy at your silent behavior. You didn't even stop and say hi, even though you DID notice them. Sans had a firm suspicion that it was his fault, Undyne contradicting him by saying that it was your own attitude at fault. He'd told the others of your confessions, the others needing a lot of time before warming up to the truth. They'd been more than worried about the little monster child, but could do nothing about their independent and careless attitude. Sans felt that it was his fault for adding tension to the problem and for scaring you away. There was no doubt that the kid had heard about what was going on. Sans and Papyrus had caught the sad knowing look in your eyes as you had faded into the crowd, shooting the panicking Vulkin a withering look.

Undyne just wanted to stop all of this madness. Sure, she was the head of the Royal Guard. She had to stay strong for her people and inspire them to hope about having a good future. One could only guess that, with the murders and incidents, that the kid had changed their mind about the monster world.

"I can't believe that little punk didn't say hi to us or anything!"

"i can."

"I mean, we were only just trying to help!"

"they just want to be independent undyne. there's nothing wrong with that."

"It's just- UGH!" Undyne put her gloved hands on her forehead in frustration. The kid just didn't want to be babied, and there was nothing wrong with that. It was just getting to the point where they refused to let anybody do anything for them. Ridiculous, it was.

"What do you think that strange rock was?"

"i wouldn't have a clue. they didn't have it when they bumped into me." What really bothered them was the look in your eyes. You paid the mass no attention as you left, only glancing at the Vulkin with a knowing look. Like you knew something they didn't. Knowing you, you probably DID know something… The two had only heard that a lone monster had murdered a Vulkin in cold blood down on the first floor. Undyne didn't get to go to the area as she was requested to make sure that the monster masses were kept under control on Sector 23. That hallway was where you'd left when Sans had finished his spiel. You'd been very close to the crime scene at the time.

Nobody was allowed in or out of Hotland until the case had been solved. Sans had been selling hot dogs at his stand just before a large group of monsters were hurriedly ushered into the clearing by a couple of royal guardswomen. There had been mass hysteria and one monster couldn't control themselves and leapt off the cliff and into the magma. It was a dark day indeed...


	12. The End Of Your Journey (Not!)

Silence And The Sound Of Falling Rocks

It wasn't very long before you'd came upon another puzzle. Now normally, you would've solved it, but this one was too complex to do that. Various rocky pillars jutted up from the ground, air vents blasting on every surface. Each seemed to face a different way, changing within seconds. A large conveyor belt rolled your way, the losers coming all the way back to the beginning if they hit it. All you heard was the steady thrum of the conveyor belt and the hiss of the air vents. Fuck this shit. You swung yourself over the cliff, the tablet in your mouth and your back facing the cliff. You pushed off with your powerful legs, grabbing onto the next pillar, and the next until you'd made your way to the far side of the puzzle. You quickly hauled yourself over the edge, gently unhinging your teeth from the tablet. They didn't leave any marks as far as you could tell. You were a dirty cheater, not solving the puzzle, but you weren't really up for the challenge and you still had yet to finish Hotland.

As you walked on, you considered mapping the capital. No. You didn't even know what you were doing now, and if you did map it, you were just putting off the inevitable… But you'd make time for the capital later. You checked your huge map, unfurling it as you went along the corridor. Look at all the progress that you've made!

Despite the small challenges in the mapping, you've made it here. Hopefully, you wouldn't lose any more lives as you finished up. You rolled up your map, stuffing it back into your sweater pocket. You then checked your total currency. Along the way, you had had some friendly spars with some of the stable monsters, earning you more gold to boot. Your total amount: a whopping two thousand gold and then some! How were your pockets still so light? And how much gold could one pocket hold? You kept your gold in the right pocket of your shorts. Putting the coins back into your pocket, you continued onwards.

The next room happened to be a huge roundabout, the path going in a complete U. Well, a sideways U. You went around the track, the silence in the background, just at bay.

The next room strangely consisted of multiple islands of rocks, wires connecting the majority. It looked as if there had been some random battle here, scorch marks visible on the ground and a ripped material of sorts scattered in the corner. You were about to make your way through when you'd spotted two individuals at the center of the clearing.

"Looks like Burgerpants will have to be working overtime again! Come Blooky! We have work to do!" A tall android had almost whipped by you, a familiar ghost at their side. You gave a meek smile towards Napstablook, who returned it in kind.

"Oh. Hi Lion…"

"Hi Napstablook! How are you?"

"Fine…" The android at his side had noticed your silent conversation and had instantly inserted themselves.

"Blooky! You didn't tell me that you had a friend such as this~" The robot had elegant black hair with a sleek steel face, their magenta eyes gleaming. They also wore hot pink knee boots with long black leggings and a magenta chest plate. You took a long look at their legs. Red was right. Those were some smoking hot gams.

"Oh… umm…" The two of you shared equal silence, the robot breaking the tension.

"What's your name darling?" They had extended their long arms to you, yourself putting forth a paw to shake hands.

"I'm Lion but you can call me whatever you want to call me. Who're you?" The robot had made a loud gasp, in which Napstablook gave a small sigh.

"You mean to tell me that your friend doesn't know who I am? That's shocking! And here I thought that every monster in the Underground knew my name!"

"Wait a second! Are you by any chance that Mettaton that everybody's talking about? I remember Red telling me about a robot named Mettaton who was very famous across the Underground."

"And your little friend was correct~ Well, it was very nice to meet you, friend of Blooky, but we must go! Glamour waits for no one!" And with that, Mettaton had hurriedly pulled away Napstablook. They'd sent you an apologizing glance, at which you sent him a gentle smile and waved goodbye.

"Later."

At last, you'd found another elevator, this one also working perfectly. Like the other, the doors had suddenly slid open, inviting you in. You stepped into the elevator, the tracker automatically moving you up a floor.

'NOW ON HOTLAND, LEVEL 3'

The elevator doors had opened up, and you stepped out into the familiar… heat? It was strangely cooler up here. You carefully looked down over the rocky edge. The magma lake was far below you, the light coming from it being strangely dim. That elevator must've carried you pretty far. You could see everything from up here! The meeting place, the strange kitchen, the courtyard, the lab… You excitedly pulled out your map, going over everything and adding in a few left out details. Putting it away, you got to your paws, the tablet still in your hands, but strangely heavier.

The next clearing was darker than the rocks below, with a table in the middle, deserted and dusty. Cobwebs hung around the place on every surface and even floating in the air. Gross. You didn't like spiders. When you saw one in the basement, you'd watch closely, the only problem being when they disappeared. Who could blame a guy for being afraid of venomous things? Well, you didn't know if they were venomous or not, you just sorta guessed from the time one of the spiders bit a rat and shit happened. The rat that it had bit had spazzed out in a seizure and just died, its eyes creepily glossed over. Ever since then, you knew not to fuck with the spiders in your basement.

You came around a bend to another archway, it was pitch black inside. Cloaking your paws in flames, you walked forward, into the pit. If you saw any spiders, you would burn the fuckers into the ground. There was cobweb everywhere, catching on your paws, getting in between your toes. You were thoroughly disgusted. If spiders didn't make webs, the world would be a much better place. Then again, without spiders, the world would be consumed by millions of insects. Nevermind. Thank you, spiders.

"Ahu hu hu~ Who do we have here?" A silky voice had called from above, its sound strangely hostile and territorial. You pushed your fire magic to blaze harder, a small silhouette appearing a couple of paces in front of you. They hung on a thin swing of sorts, five purple eyes gleaming at you from the dark. You were about to retort before you'd felt something crawling up your back. You'd stiffened, your claws slowly sliding out.

"What's wrong dearie? Afraid of spiders~"

"Yes. Most definitely yes." As it turns out, the thing that was crawling up your back was in fact, a spider. It held a tiny donut in two of its legs, another leg excitedly waving at you.

"Is this one venomous? Because if it is, I don't want to die a terrible and painful death."

"Oh relax dearie~ They don't bite~"

"Really now?" You'd relaxed, the spider still waving the donut at your face. You thanked the small spider and had accepted the pastry, the small spider bowing on your shoulder before it traipsed away using a strand of its own web. The large monster from before was now illuminated with a sickly purple light, looking much like the spider's queen as you saw her up close. She had two side ponytails, the ends neatly cut and fastened with ribbons. A multi-sleeved dress covered up most of her torso, a pair of ruby red flats adorning her feet. She gazed upon you with five purple eyes, each gleaming with humor.

"I suppose that I've no reason to tie you up, so you may pass through~" As soon as she'd said that, you'd taken off, calling "thank you" over your shoulder.

Not before long, the end came up in sight, you calling off your golden flames for now, only to wish you hadn't. This was yet again another strange room, a cardboard cutout castle in the corner with dusty spotlights and a weird hole in the ground.

"Keep going. They might be around here somewhere. LD, search over there." You hurriedly dived behind the castle prop, finding a large inlet on the underside. You quietly fitted yourself underneath it, moving a spare piece of cardboard in front of the hole. You pressed your ear against the sides, listening with bated breath.

"What do you mean you can't find it?! Oi! GD! Can you stop sniffing that stick and help us!" You heard the sharp pounds of iron metal clanking against the heated rocks. Heavy panting moved closer towards you, a hint of a snarl in the background. Faraway footsteps sounded on the rocks.

"Hey! RG 1! Dude! Doggo found something!" The person's voice was high-pitched but masculine, their armor sounding much heavier than GD's.

"He did? Where?"

"Over by the elevators! Their scent starts and stops! Doesn't move! Might be somewhere around here!"

"Quickly! You heard what he said! Search the area for them! I want them found today, not tomorrow!" The multitude of people had hurriedly ran back towards the spider queen's room, leaving you to hastily move out of your hiding spot. With a heave, you freed yourself from the prop, making a mad dash towards the faraway corridor.

You side stepped away from the precarious hole, carrying on forward. The clearing ahead was normal again, thank god. A tall blue bunny monster stood to the side with a strange cart, a colorful umbrella propped up in the middle. It didn't seem to notice you until you got to the middle of the clearing. Hey.. didn't you know that guy? Nor did the guards who were standing off to the side. You recognized one of them from earlier, the one with the long black tail sticking out of their metal skirt. It was Red. You didn't comment as the two looked like they were enjoying their… ice cream? Red wasn't touching his. Blue on the other hand, was attempting to eat his through his helmet. The remainders dripped down his chest plate. The rabbit from earlier had decided to beckon you over as soon as he'd saw you.

"Hey there! I remember you from Waterfall! Boy, you look like you've been through the wringer... How about some nice cream to brighten up your day! It's only 15 g!" The rabbit, who insisted on being called Nice, had kindly taken your money and gave you a nice cream. It was caramel coffee flavored. Heck yes. You bid goodbye to the friendly nice cream seller, setting off down the path. Wait. There were only two exits: one to the north which led up the stairs, and one to the right which led to another elevator. This elevator only went back to previous floors. You took the north path, walking up the stairs and stopping at the top. There appeared to be a giant hotel perched at the top. How unfortunate, seeing as how barely anybody would bother traveling up that precarious slope to get here. You gave a nonchalant shrug, continuing on to the massive building.

You slowly strode inside the hotel, marveling at the luxurious insides. You'd never been anywhere quite like it. The tall marble walls met elegantly at precise corners, a giant marble fountain built in the middle. The crystal clear jets of water that flew out of it reflected the bright light of the massive hall. Monsters were busily pacing around here and there, clearly upset about an elevator problem.

Your stomach had unexpectedly rumbled. You gave a low chuckle and remembered that you hadn't eaten in days. Well, that's what it felt like. That nice cream had only quelled your hunger for so long. You lazily looked around, spotting a lone shop on the right side of the hall. You had plenty of gold and could afford anything expensive. You slowly trudged into the shop, silently nagging yourself about how quiet it was in there.

"Welcome to the- OH MY GOD IT'S YOU." You stopped in your tracks gazing blearily at the speaker. It was-

"Hey, I remember you! You're that monster from the boat on the sea! Weren't you riding with that nice cream vendor?"

"Yeah. Sure." The cat monster was lazily perched against a far counter, his right paw holding his face. He wore a dropping cylindrical hat with a yellow and red dress shirt. His facial expression was the epitome of 'not giving a shit.' Despite the "no smoking" sign that hung on behind him, a lit cigar was held firmly in his maw, the acidic scent of smoke burning your nostrils.

"Well then. I'm come in to purchase something."

"No shit sherlock. Just make sure to ORDER SOMETHING OFF OF THE MENU." His last words were growled out, making you think that there was a reason behind it. You looked towards the giant menu above him, an item in the far left catching your eye.

"Okay. Don't judge me, but i'll take the Steak In The Shape Of Mettaton's Face, please."

"Why in the hell would you buy that?"

"SHOOSH! The customer is always right!" You said with the smuggest of smirks on your face. You eagerly slammed 600g onto the polished desk, your grin growing as he silently took the money and headed behind the counter. You could hear his various remarks from your position, much to your amusement.

"Nobody even eats these things anymore! Why is there so many of them back here?!"

"It smells like a dumpster fire back here!"

"Why do I even bother with the goddamn salt?"

"It's cold as balls in that freezer!"

"Fuck this shit!" You were giggling by the time that the cat monster was done. You hurriedly fixed your face back to neutral as he'd arrived back at the counter.

"Here's your Steak In The Shape Of Mettaton's Face."

"Couldn't you just refer to it as a steak?" You asked politely. The cat monster just gave you a salty look.

"Can't. The boss would dock off of my already low paycheck. I'm already nineteen and I've wasted my life." The monster had handed you the greasy parcel, the smell of slightly burnt meat making your mouth water.

"Thank you!"

"Sure. Just do me a solid."

"Okay."

"Next time you come in, don't. Order. That. Goddamn-"

"My my my! What do we have here?" A high-pitched voice had called from around the corner. The cat monster had began to push you away from the counter, a note of urgency in his voice.

"Run! Quickly before they stuff you into a glittery tutu!" With a final hiss, he'd pushed you out of the shop, the high-pitched squeal from earlier getting noticeably louder. You firmly grasped your package as you made your way towards the doors of the hotel. With a loud sigh, you'd breathed in the stuffy air of Hotland once more. Your fur had unexpectedly fluffed out, sweat running through your fur. Well that was weird.

You went to sit on the stairs, taking your package with you. Not in the middle, no. You absolutely hated when people did that. You wearily sat on the side of the middle steps, finishing off your steak. As you went to put it in your pocket, your paw had brushed against the nice cream wrapper. You tiredly took out the wrapper. You carefully looked at crumpled wrapper. It had a message hidden inside. You unscrambled the wrapper, reading the message. It _did_ make you smile.

'Are those claws natural?'

Yes. Yes they are. You folded the nice cream wrapper, putting it in your sweater pocket, only to take out your map and some inked quills. You peevishly spared a glance behind you. The large hotel had stood proudly behind you, the lights bright and blaring to make up for the lack of the magma. This was the end of Hotland apparently, as the last door inside had pointed towards "The Core." You documented the rest of your journey, filling out the various rooms you came across. You put your map back in your pocket, the stone tablet catching your attention. What were you gonna do now? Your journey was not over, as you were too lazy to map the capital and the core for now. You'd do those later. Should you head back to your igloo and make your final decision? No. You could do that _here_.

Well, you figured that you should head back to Snowdin. You remembered what you told Sans back at the meeting point yesterday. That when you were done, you'd build a house somewhere in the Underground. You liked the idea of somewhere to rest, but you haven't rested since your igloo after all. Now let's see…

Waterfall was too wet and scary, as you didn't like the vast oceans, nor the barbarian tems which shall terrorize you forever. You'd still go there to splash around in the puddles, though.

Hotland was a definite no go. It was hot as balls out here and you didn't want to live in a fiery hell hole like this.

You didn't know what the capital looked like, nor did you care. That would come much later.

That left Snowdin. It was nice and cold, and you were more than capable of fighting off the cold with your magic. It wasn't as pitch as it was in Waterfall at night, and not once did you run into any bad people there. You recounted the money in your pockets... It could be just enough but you'd have to check. You had finally decided. Getting onto your paws, you walked back down the steps slowly. Taking the path to your right, you headed to the elevator. The panels didn't decide for you this time, letting you choose. You pressed the button for the first floor, the doors closing shut, and the elevator moving downwards. You hadn't expected for the elevator to let you do that, as you just wanted to get back to Snowdin faster. Apparently, the scene had been cleaned up as a couple of monsters were waiting for the elevator to arrive when yours had arrived. You quickly stepped off, the other monsters switching with you as they all filtered on. Within seconds, the metal elevator had shot up into the air, a great gust of steam blowing it sideways.

You were about to continue into Waterfall when you felt a familiar presence in the area. Great. You went down the path to the exit, all but smashing into something hard and large on the corner. Before you could react, strong arms wrapped tightly around your torso, bringing you in for a breathless hug. The figure smelled strongly of spaghetti. You knew that scent. It was Papyrus.

"OH MY GOD! WE HAVE FOUND THE MONSTER CHILD ALREADY?" We? Papyrus had hurriedly pulled back, still holding you tightly all the while. The others were not too far behind, triumphant smiles on each face as they came towards you. Papyrus had let you go, the others crowding around you to form a tight circle. There was no escape. Everybody was here. Frisk had barreled into you, using your stomach as a pillow while tightly grabbing onto your beaten sweater. You were very confused. What were they all doing here? Toriel was slightly crying, for what you didn't know. Alphys was riding piggyback on Undyne's back, and Sans was standing beside his brother. He and Undyne were giving you a salty dose of double side eye.

"Yo." You'd nonchalantly called, a neutral expression playing on your features. It had been awhile since you'd last saw them, and you felt slightly crushed at their presence. Way too many people at once. Papyrus was apparently the conversation leader, as he'd started up again.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE IN HOTLAND, FRIEND?" Ah. That question.

"Well, I just finished mapping out the place, and I don't feel like mapping out the Core and the capital right now. Mm. Maybe later. Or perhaps tomorrow."

"AND?"

"And.. what...?"

"HAVE YOU MADE YOUR DECISION ON WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO NOW?"

"Yup." They all eagerly awaited your response. You knew that if you told, them, they'd never leave you alone.

"I'm going to build a house." Silence.

"Where?" The speaker was Toriel, happy about your decision but curious as to where you'd build it.

"Well, Waterfall's too wet, not to mention the whole tem incident, Hotland's too hot so I'd sweat to death out here, and I'm not going to the capital or the core seeing as I don't really feel like it right now. So I decided that I'd check around Snowdin and see if there was anything." That silence had suddenly turned into loud cheering as Papyrus had decided to go in for another spine-crushing hug.

"THAT'S WONDERFUL, FRIEND! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL HELP YOU LOOK FOR THE PERFECT SPOT!"

"I believe that to buy a whole plot of land in Snowdin, it would amount to one thousand gold. Do you have enough, child?" Yes. You had almost triple that amount. You could easily afford it. A whole plot to yourself. The land would be yours and yours alone. Much like the one on the surface….

"Heh. I have almost triple that amount. I can afford it." You let a coy smile play on your lips.

"I see." Undyne had uneasily murmured.

"What are you guys even doing in Hotland? It's way too hot around here." From her place on Undyne's back, Alphys had shrugged, apparently not affected by the intense heat.

"WELL, WE WERE LOOKING FOR YOU! WE CAME TO BRING YOU BACK!" You spared a questioning glance at Undyne and Sans, who'd just shrugged and pointed at the bottom stairs to the river room.

"We all came on Riverman's boat. He's waiting for us as of now. Didn't think we'd find you so fast, punk! Now come on! We have land to survey!" And off she went, Alphys clutching onto her shoulders. Frisk was still clutched onto your sweater, not letting go. You reached down with your paw and gently rubbed Frisk's head, messing up their head purposely. You weren't good with human children. Hell, you'd watched as your parents had put some to death. It was your primal instincts telling you to kill them that you'd froze. It was only when they looked up at you, that you realized that they'd been crying and you hurriedly unfroze.

"It's alright Frisk." They signed something at you, Sans translating.

"the kid wants to know if you plan on disappearing like that again." You thought hard. You couldn't promise them as you still had to fill in the blanks on your map. Walking between the various lands would take time, and you hadn't a clue as to how big the Core and the capital were.

"I won't disappear. At least, not yet. I'll only disappear if I have a reason. And I do happen to have some reasons..."

"what do you mean, _not yet_?"

"Well, I haven't completely filled in my map. There's still some minor details missing. I'll have to go see about those. Not to mention that I have to explore the Core and the capital. I can't afford to miss those." Frisk signed something again.

"the kid wants to know if they can accompany you on these adventures."

"Sure. If that's what makes you happy. Just prepare to get injured because I haven't went through one zone without getting injured, dying, or having to run for cover. I'm not even joking." Frisk had stopped crying. They hugged you one last time before setting off after Undyne, Toriel in tow. The skeleton brothers stayed behind you the entire time as you made your way towards the river room, acting as barriers to make sure that you didn't turn tail and lea- dammit. Unintentional puns, my foot! You gave an audible sigh of relief at the icy temperature in the river room. Sans gave a low chuckle. There was a huge wooden boat now bobbing on the river's calm surface. It was wide enough to fit the entire group, including you and the strange cloaked figure at the head of the boat. The guy was quietly talking to himself, the hood facing out towards the tunnel. You didn't judge, heaving yourself into the boat and sitting on one of the vacant benches at the end. The skeleton brothers sat on either side of you, close but roomy enough to move your elbows.

"Are you all ready to go?" The Riverman had a low and raspy voice, similar to a whisper.

"Heck yea! To Snowdin!" As Undyne had said the destination, the boat began to move on its own, water flying around the sides of the boat. The wind whipped through your hair, and the tablet and key perched in your lap began to rattle. It was going to be a long ride.

"EXCUSE ME, MONSTER CHILD... WHAT IS THAT STRANGE OBJECT THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR LAP?" The others had turned to look at the tablet, the strange object glistening from stray water droplets. You shrugged.

"It's some sort of tablet. It has this weird language that I can't read. I don't know what the key is for. I found it in Hotland in a small inlet hidden by the cliff. I figured that I might ask around and see if anybody knows about it."

"S-sounds mysterious." Alphys had fixed her glasses, a strange glaze on her pale green eyes.

"A strange language? Let me see it." You delicately handed the tablet over to Toriel, her ruby red eyes skimming over the strange lettering. She frowned.

"I can't read it either." Everybody tried to read it, Sans taking the longest time. He seemed puzzled, confused about something before he handed it back to you.

"nope. sorry kit. i can't read this either." You sighed. You were hoping that at least one of them could decipher the strange lettering. Oh well. You lay the tablet firmly in your lap.

"I guess I'll have to ask around. Somebody has to know how to read this, right?" And the boat continued on its way.


	13. The New Cat In Snowdin

The Smell Of Wood And A Warm Blanket

It had taken an hour or two for the boat to reach the icy shores of Snowdin. Riverman had pulled the boat to a gentle stop, the water ceasing to fly. The ripples in the river were large and lapped at the river bank as you gracefully hopped out, the others in tow. You'd made the decision to buy a plot in Snowdin, the town being the only part of the Underground that you could stand. You almost felt like crying as the familiar cold breeze ruffled your hair and the snowflakes danced in the wind. Hotland's stifling atmosphere had left a lasting impression. There were plenty of places in Snowdin that were suitable for you. You just had to find the one that was sensible to choose.

"ACTUALLY, MONSTER CHILD…. IF YOU DON'T MIND, I MEAN, I DID STUMBLE UPON A SPOT THAT WOULD BE NICE." Huh. You swept a couple of snowflakes out of your ear fur, nodding at Papyrus.

"Okay then. Lead the way."

"NYEHEHEH! ROGER THAT!" And your group was out in the snow. You quietly looked behind you. The Riverman seemed to have disappeared, the rippling water now silent and unmoving. You turned your head back around to gaze at the approaching town of Snowdin. Weird. You remembered when you'd first got here, how you were so cautious of everything. Now, the place felt just like… just like… You didn't finish that thought. It was too populated to be crying over spilt milk at the moment.

Frisk had happily skipped ahead, catching up to Papyrus and motioning to ride on his shoulders. Papyrus stopped to pick up Frisk, placing them on his shoulders. Frisk had then taken to nestling into his mahogany scarf, shielded from the icy winds. Funny. That color seemed to remind you of something...

It seemed as though the group was always full of energy. But despite all the commotion and excitement over your decision, to you it was eerily quiet. The darkness wouldn't be still, as it was always draped over your shoulder. Along the way, Papyrus had mentioned that it was going to be awhile before you got there. You shrugged, sticking your paws into your pocket. You took the time to process your thoughts, and as everyone talked about something you couldn't quite hear, you zoned out. Absolutely oblivious to what went on around you...

It had been such a long time... To you, at least…. It was a couple of months after the incident, locked away in the molding basement for your captor's torturing pleasures. You never truly stopped mourning for them. Hell, you didn't even have enough energy to get up or reply... You didn't know what day of the week it was or what month you were currently in. Even with your skill in seasons, you were _lost_... You _did_ know that the maximum days in a month were thirty-one. So you counted the days sluggishly, using your dulled claws to dig scratch lines in the bookcases that were strewn around. It was painful to bare. It took hours to dig them out, sometimes lasting a day. The days seemed to last years and desolate silence that surrounded you had numbed you to the very core. You didn't sleep, refused to eat, and made yourself as small as possible. Sunlight…

It was somewhere around the middle of winter, the cold drafts blowing in from underneath the door and through the crack in the window. Dark clouds swam across the sky, the insides of the basement dark and consoling. Even on the coldest of days, they never gave you a blanket. Who were they to care? You knew that someday, you would die in this basement. Your dust would sit idle, pooling in the cracks and crevices until it was time to respawn. Then, you'd just be right back in the basement. After all, there was no wind current to take you away. You were stuck, and you would always BE stuck in here…

You sat quietly in the dark corner, your tiny arms splayed out to your sides. You cried when your captors weren't around, learning how to silence your sobs. The salty tears gently drifted down your cheeks, your eyes red and puffy from crying.

You'd realized earlier during that week that you'd missed your birthday. Your parents would always celebrate it, never giving you any gifts out of tradition. They knew that no amount of gifts could bring about true happiness. Instead, they spent the day constantly around you, reminding you of how much you meant to them and how much they needed your presence. That your life truly meant something and that you were going to be great someday. That you were the sun of their magnificent solar system, and that they wanted nothing more than to orbit around you for as long as time would allow. Your parents had always been there for you, and now they were gone. You wanted to lash out, to escape, to take out for your pursuit of freedom. But in the end, it was always pointless.

And now that you were all alone. You were imprisoned, trapped here without a reason and preyed upon by the humans. Like a… caged animal... And you'd _hated_ it. They celebrated their own birthdays upstairs, making sure that their parties were extra loud just to tease you. Oh, the things you wanted to do to them. How they would make extra noise to keep you up. How they would feed you the most _rotten_ and _gut-wrenching_ foods and expected you to keep it down. How they tricked you into finding freedom. How they punished you for the stupidest reasons. You'd grown used to it over time. Especially when they would threaten you with death. You didn't care. You'd take death over this torture any day. How they would talk to you as if you were their slave. You weren't. You refused to do anything for them, refusing even the most simplest of tasks such as getting up or sitting down.

You refused to do any sexual favors for them, lashing out when they tried to force you to do anything. You refused to talk to them soon after, becoming vaguely mute whenever they decided to rear their ugly heads. You hated them with a fiery passion. _Them_ only. Humanity was bad enough, but these people had to be the worst. You were sure that there WERE some kind people here and there.

The kindest people have the most terrible deaths. There was one maid that you once knew, her name being Trish. She had curly pink hair and bright blue eyes. At least, that's what you thought. You'd only seen her once before her untimely demise. She was pleasingly plump, her outfit just like the others but more appealing to the eye.. She only came in once, but you were good at hearing. She was always optimistic, pushing away the pessimistic and realistic thoughts of the other maids. She'd taken the job because she thought that the whole maid fling was cute. She was a good maid, double cleaning everything and sometimes going as far as trying to clean the basement... The others always stopped her before she discovered the truth. She was too innocent and naive. The others knew this and tried to keep her away from you at all costs. You knew that fact too, so you kept quiet. You kept counting the days as they slowly passed by...

Trish had a great voice, having trouble with the low notes but hitting the high ones with ease. She had a bubbly and sassy personality, bustling about the house here and there. Normally, she'd only be singing while she worked… But Trish was also nosy and you'd heard her picking at it before the others... Her curiosity had gotten the best of her. While the others were upstairs, masters included, she picked the basement door open with a spare bobby pin. The hair accessories were useful. The door silently swung open. Nobody else in the house could hear the door open.. You quickly flattened yourself against the wall, just barely out of sight. Too late. She turned the lights on, not missing a beat as she saw your tiny frame in the corner, peering at her with hostile amber eyes. She screamed.

The masters were down the stairs in an instant, throwing open the mahogany door with so much force that it blew off its hinges. Trish had tried to force her way out, the master holding her back with his strong arms. The mistress had fixed the door and had given you the coldest glare in the history of glares. That was the day that the masters put six locks on the basement door. You'd listened intently that night, your ear pressed against the stone walls of the basement.

They punished her, worse than they punished you. And by that, they punished her with the things that you ALWAYS refused to do… You learned that they were too rough with her and in the end, you could only listen as they jostled her down the stairs, beaten and bloodied. Trish had stumbled in her heels and fell down the stairs, a deafening crack as she snapped her neck on the bottom stair. There was a great ruckus after that. The masters were busy in phone calls, asking someone to hide the body. Thankfully, you didn't have to deal with the smell of rotting flesh. The body was removed from the household immediately and the masters had made sure that if the maids had ever told a soul, that they'd be given worse treatment than you. They could've warned you about it too, but who were YOU going to talk to?

The girl's family was told that she just fell down the stairs and broke her neck, the bloodied injuries from a swarm of bees in the backyard. That was that, and the name 'Trish' became taboo in the household. She was the only ray of sunshine that didn't intentionally make jokes about you.

You missed her, even if she had screamed at the sight of you. After that, it was back to counting the days, the silence pounding in your head and the dark enveloping you in its cold hands. You gave in during these dark times, constantly subjected to the dark thoughts of your subconscious. Beyond that small memory, you couldn't seem to remember. Letting the blurry days go by, you missed yet another birthday, and another, and another. You barely grew during these years, your height being that of a runt's figure. You gradually stopped counting the time, your determination slipping away by the minutes...

Afterwards, the two had apparently decided to get busy, as the entire night was filled with disturbing images. You had to cover your ears with two textbooks to block out their thunderous moans and groans. You knew that they were doing that creepy shit on purpose. God, how those sounds plagued your mind in the dark. They were weird and disturbing, and made your subconscious thoughts and life even worse than they were.

To your horror, you found out that they were apparently having a child, and of course refused to tell you anything about it. That didn't matter as you could hear their conversations through the thin walls. The nine months that followed were hellish. You felt intense sympathy for the child, having to be raised by such god awful parents.

You dully listened to their random arguments, the sounds of their punches and bones breaking. You absentmindedly listened to the retching of the mistress as her morning sickness took its toll. You listened to the heavy books that were thrown across the room, and more phone calls from excited relatives.

You wearily endured the harsher beatings from the master. He wasn't ready to have a kid but he wouldn't say that to his wife. No, he was a coward.. Instead, he took his pent-up frustration out on you. You remembered the bleeding wounds that took days to heal. How the master would never relent, reopening the wounds everyday, much to his sick enjoyment. You knew that when the time came, he was just going to pick on you more before leaving his family behind in the dust. You'd read about things like that happening.

The child came and with that, a new kind of torture had ensued. You still got picked on, sharing that abuse with the new infant. The master seemed to always bully the child when the mistress was gone, yelling at them and throwing them around like a broken ragdoll. You were surprised that the child wasn't dead yet. You wanted to defend the child, but you couldn't. They didn't deserve that, and if you could, you would take away their pain. To take the beatings for them at will. But it didn't go like that.

You were forced to listen to the tortured screams and pleads of the child, the sobs of sadness and despair following. You didn't think you had any motherly instincts at the age of eight... But you did.

When their son was at the fragile age of five, he was unresponsive, traumatized by the actions of his abusive father AND his abusive mother. His mother had also joined in the beatings, her once joyful emotions being replaced by hatred and fear. She always claimed that her son was a failure and if he couldn't even respond normally to her commands, then he didn't deserve to live his pitiful life. The master was angry at the mistress for raising such an awful and hideous child. But you knew something that they refused to believe. It was their fault..

Their son wasn't mute, but chose not to speak. Not to them, at least. He didn't speak to the maids either.

There was a certain period of time when the two couldn't handle their son and his ways of life. So they hired a babysitter to deal with him instead. After that, the masters were gone all day, probably out drinking and partying. As for the babysitter… They never did their job and yelled at the poor kid when they refused to speak to them. You were thirteen at the time, still trapped in the basement with the darkness as a friend.

It was one day, when the parents had left and the babysitter had fallen into a Thanksgiving food coma, that you heard a small quiet knock on the door. You were hesitant at first but knocked back. The kid knocked again, and so did you. They disappeared for a bit only to come back with a bag of sorts. They hastily put something underneath the door, along with something else, too. You used your rusty fire magic to set a spare textbook on fire. The kid had slipped a huge piece of paper under the door along with a pen. The kid had written something down on the paper. The conversation on the large paper went as follows:

"Who are you?" The kid had written down. You thought for a minute, thinking of a reply.

"A kid."

"Why are you in the basement?"

"Because your parents don't like me very much."

"Why not?"

"I couldn't tell you. I don't know either."

"Can you come out of there?"

"No."

"How long have you been in the basement?"

"A long time."

"How old are you?"

"Older than you."

"Seven?"

"Higher. Try again."

"Ten?"

"Even higher. Keep trying."

"Thirteen?"

"Correct."

"You must be very old then."

"I'm not _that_ old."

"Is it dark in there?"

"Most of the time."

"Won't you come out to greet me?"

"I wish I could, but the door's locked."

"Are you a ghost?"

"No. Just a kid." A loud knock had issued from a door somewhere above you.

"I have to go now. They're back."

"Okay. But make sure not to tell them about me."

"Why not?"

"They don't like it when I make myself known to others."

"Can I talk to you tomorrow?"

"Whenever you want."

"Bye!"

"See ya."

The kid was genuinely curious, and you hoped that they wouldn't tell their parents. They didn't and the conversations continued on for months. You talked about the sky, animals, problems, heck, sometimes you even helped them with their homework! They were always grateful, you two sharing a mutual bond even though you'd never seen each other. Sometimes, they slip you notes at night.

When their parents were asleep, they'd have nightmares, and would come to you for help. Those were some of the only times when you would use your voice, only to sing him lullabies that your parents had once sung for you when you had nightmares.

He'd once written you a letter. It stated that you were his best friend and that one day, he'd find a way to see you in person. You'd smiled at the thought, tucking the letter away on a scratched up bookshelf. Would he run away from you? Or would he bag on you like his parents did?

He spoke to you through the door sometimes with his voice, and you always replied back, no matter what time it was of the day. The two of you spoke softly, as to not wake the masters. He always remembered your birthday and you remembered his. He didn't think that you were a demon or a ghoul trapped in the basement. He knew that you were just a kid who was in a sticky situation. And the beatings didn't hurt as much anymore. And the day that you escaped, you could hardly care less as you left...

You wondered if he was okay. He had relatives that would take care of him. But did he have people who cared about him? People who treasured his life like your parents had treasured yours? Perhaps, one of his many relatives would show him the love and affection that he truly deserved…

You were abruptly brought back into reality by a small skeletal hand nudging your shoulder. It was the two skeleton brothers.

"you alright there, kit. you're spacing out on us."

"Guess that makes me a star..." Your comeback had been unintentional but it had brought a huge smile to Sans's face and a disbelieving frown to Papyrus's.

"I SHALL FORGIVE YOU FOR THAT, MONSTER CHILD. ANYWAY, WE'RE HERE!" Papyrus had skipped into the vast clearing, the others already there. They were giving you worried glances over their shoulder, mostly from you zoning out. Where was this lot? It was beautiful.

The lot was big and by big, it was big enough to hold two of the skelebro's house snugly. There was more than enough snow here, with lots of tall pine trees fencing off the sides. Icicles hung to the trees along with hardened sap which shone a brilliant amber in the artificial sunlight. Tiny frozen streams split the ground on the far sides. You liked the place.

"SO MONSTER CHILD! WHAT DO YOU THINK?" You motioned Papyrus closer and whispered into his ear.

"I love it." And Papyrus gave the loudest cheer in the history of cheers. The others had gotten wind, and Sans looked really smug about something that you just couldn't figure out.

"WELL THEN! WE MUST GO TO TELL BERTHA! SHE'LL WANT TO HEAR THIS!" And with that, the group was off. You figured that Bertha was the owner of this plot and was the person who you'd have to pay in order to put anything down. Toriel seemed to notice and took to informing you.

"Bertha is the owner of this plot. The poor girl's been dying to sell it, and you buying it will make her day." Wait. What?

"Why would she want to sell it?"

"Almost nobody comes to visit Snowdin, so the lot's been sitting there for a very long time." Oh.

The trip wasn't long. You discovered that your lot wasn't very far from the skeleton brother's house. It was just a small pathway through the woods that led over the frozen tundra. The reason why it took so long was because you had to go down a cliff just to reach it. You, along with the others, had went searching for Bertha, finding her in the librarby. _Yea_. There was a small metal sign that hung above the wooden doorway and that's exactly what it said.

A small golden bell rang when your group had stepped in. You never noticed the library. It smelled of old books and hot chocolate.

"O-oh! Um! Welcome to the library! Yes, we know about the sign."

"Hello Bertha!" Toriel had exclaimed.

"Oh? Hello Toriel! Oh! And hello Frisk, Undyne, Alphys, Papyrus, Sans, and…?" You realized that you hadn't introduced yourself. You were about to when Toriel did it anyway.

"This is our young friend, Lion."

"Oh? What a peculiar name!" You shrugged, finding your name to suit you. You didn't mind what others thought of your name.

"Our friend here wishes to take that lot off of your hands."

"W-wha? Come again?" Toriel motioned you to the counter. You took all of your gold and placed it on the counter.

"I wish to partake in buying that lot by the cliff." Bertha looked so confused. You'd imagine that you too would be befuddled by a child trying to buy a whole plot worth of land.

"O-oh! Sorry! Heh. The plot land is worth eight hundred gold." You smugly took out all of your gold, heaving it onto the wooden counter. She nervously counted off eight hundred from the pile, shifting the extra back to you. You took the rest and put it back into your pocket. Bertha looked extremely happy, and you did, in fact, just made someone's day.

"I'll need you to come over here for a sec." You hastily padded over towards the other side of the counter, Bertha shifting some papers underneath her desk. She finally pulled out two paper documents and a pen.

"This one is an agreement for you to keep in touch with me about the land and what you plan to do with it. The other is an agreement on owning the land. You really don't have to read them, though. Nobody does. The government just puts it there to frustrate people." Bertha gave a tedious chuckle. You took the pen and wrote a signature on both documents, pushing them back to her.

"The land is all yours now! You can do whatever you want with it, as long as you don't disrupt the neighbors! Well, that all there is to it! Good luck!" You and the group bid Bertha goodbye and left the librarby.

"So you say you're gonna build a house huh?" Undyne had slowly lumbered up to you. She looked extremely skeptical about the situation. Well, you're not here to fuck spiders. ( sorry spider queen ) You nodded.

"And just how are you going to build said house punk?"

"With sweat, tears, and a lot of elbow grease." You had a LOT of work to do.

"Let us help!"

"No thank you! I can do it myself!"

"There's no way a tiny kid such as yourself can build a house!"

"Undyne don't-"

"Watch me." And with that, you sassily sashayed south down the path to your new lot, a victorious grin playing on your muzzle as you bid the group farewell.

"Undyne!"

You got to work cutting down some thick trees. It took a lot of hard work but it was worth it. After you'd cut them into pieces and fitted them into the framework, you began to hammer the pieces together with the kit of tools that you'd purchased from the Snowdin shop. You began to fit board after board onto the second framework, making sure each board was fitted in their place. You'd taken the time to find a monster who makes glass panes, and had paid for six window's worth. You were so into building, that you added a second floor to the work. With your climbing abilities, it didn't take much work to construct the roof. You made sure that the roof was made of both clay, rock , and wood. Thus to prevent any cave-ins from the heavy snow. The outside of the house had taken until nightfall to finish. You'd added boulders to the lower floor to take away the possible drafts that might blow through, the majority of the boulders being granite or bedrock. You'd coated the walls with a thick white plaster, adding more rocks to the walls of the bottom floor. You made sure to tightly fit the framework of the windows in too.

The others had come to check on your progress, Undyne eating her words when she saw you successfully install the windows by yourself. You used your heat magic to melt the edges of the glass onto the framework. Only some windows had openings. The others were solid and couldn't be opened from the outside. You didn't receive any teachings so you just went with how you thought it would go. They hauled you away at night time, taking you to rest at the skeleton brothers house, which you were hesitant about.

As soon as dawn broke the next day, you were out in the snow, back at it once more. The inside was next, applying the inside coating and sealing any holes and cracks that were left. The others had been out the whole day, doing… something. They wouldn't tell you when you asked in the morning. You fitted the mahogany doors on their hinges, making sure that they didn't squeal or squeak. You had only needed help with installing the electricity and plumbing, in which two monsters from Hotland helped you with. You paid them graciously for their help.

After that was done, you had a blacksmith from Waterfall come and help you with the locks on your doors and windows. If Toriel had to lock up her own house AND the ruins, even when nobody lived there anymore, than you knew it was smart to install locks. You added bars over the doors and the windows just in case.

It took a week and a half to build your fortress. You stood back and admired your work in the snow: a full two-story house, with three bedrooms, two bathroom, a huge kitchen, a lengthened living room, a chill room on the second floor, a utility closet under the stairs, and a brick fireplace. Top that, Undyne!

You had splinters all over your paws, the pain not bothering you as much as it should've. You were finally done. Everything hurt so much. To you, it looked just like your house on the surface. Well.. before it burned down. And it was missing the water wheel too.

Suddenly, you heard Papyrus yell something in the distance. So they _were_ coming to check on you...

The entire group was there, along with some other monsters that you didn't recognize. Each was carrying something large over their shoulders. When they had scaled the cliff, they stopped to admire your _perfectly crafted_ , hint hint, house that stood tall, fresh and brand new amongst the snow. It was then that you saw what they were carrying. Furniture. You could've bought that yourself! So _that's_ what they've been doing all this time...

"Nice house punk!"

"W-Woah."

"AMAZING!" Toriel, Frisk, and Sans had refused to comment, setting the furniture down on the lot.

"Anyway, while you were doing your thing here with the house, we went out and got you some stuff!"

"You know, you guys didn't have to." You grumpily put your paws on your hips and scowled at Undyne.

"Yes we did! We all thought it was a good idea! Now shut up and tell us where to put all this junk!"

They'd bought you a ton of stuff, the items including a lumpy couch, a giant bed, a wooden dresser, some beautiful carpets, a squishy beanbag, thick blankets, feather pillows, and silk towels…? You felt bad for them getting you all of this stuff and you not paying a cent for it. They all reassured you that this was intentional and that it was a sort of housewarming gift. Who gives furniture for housewarming gifts?

You directed where each item should be put, and at the end of the day, YOU payed for some special ingredients for a meal. It'd been awhile since you'd eaten. Man, how you were craving the wild game up on the surface…

Papyrus had insisted on making celebratory spaghetti and what better way to celebrate a new house, then to burn down the kitchen. That's exactly what happened. You weren't mad as nothing actually burned down... Except the poor spaghetti. The metal pot just happened to crack and explode, the spaghetti flying everywhere. Thank god Undyne didn't help or you wouldn't have laughed it off like you did. They all eventually filtered out of your house, and the silence set in again.

You turned off the lights in the living room and just decided to sleep on your couch. It was felt exactly like how the skeleton brother's couch did, spare the loose change in the crevices. You pulled the thick blankets around you, being actually warm for the first time in forever. The oven light had been purposefully left on as you didn't want to sleep in the dark. You remembered that you would have to go clothes shopping the next day, the brothers mentioning a clothes shop in every town.

At least you could finally shower and change with your new house. On the road, you had been grooming yourself every once in awhile, using the scent of cinnamon and citrus to cover your tracks. You also had to buy necessities, soap and all that junk. You also had to buy food. You hoped that with 2,374 gold, you could afford all of that. Probably not. For the first time in months, you fell asleep, dreaming of one thousand hot dogs stacked upon each other, the limit endless.


	14. Gotta Go Gaster (Bonus Chapter)

A Long Awaited Adventure

You woke with a start, falling off of the couch in your bleary stumble. With a groan, you heaved yourself onto your paws, peering out into your living room. That's right. You'd fell asleep on your couch last night. Wait. You actually fell asleep? Wow. That's a first. With a grumble, you gathered up your blankets and pillows, tiredly trudging upstairs. Shit. You had accidentally missed a step, the blankets keeping you from denting your cranium as you fell down the stairs.

"Dammit!" You got back up only to try again. This time, you were successful. You'd made it onto the next floor, casting a glance at the giant tinted window that sat across from you. From here, you could see the vast outline of Snowdin, the heavy sheet of snow blocking out some of the details. It was almost morning, the pale rays of the artificial sunlight lighting up the snow piles below. As you tossed your blankets and pillows onto the floor, you stretched gleefully, the bones in your spine popping back into place. Man, that felt good! You busied yourself in getting dressed, picking out a light gray hoodie and a pair of black sweatpants. You painstakingly brushed out the tangles in your hair, throwing it back into a large ponytail. It'd have to do for now.

"MONSTER CHILD? ARE YOU AWAKE YET?" You flinched as four heavy raps sounded on the door downstairs. With an inward sigh, you made your way downstairs, stopping to grab an orange from the basket on the coffee table. You hastily unlocked the deadbolt on the door, pulling it back to reveal Papyrus. He was clad in his usual attire, the only exception being a pair of earmuffs that were gently nestled against his skull. Wait. He didn't even have ears! Why were those even necessary?

"Morning Paps. *yawn* And how are you on this fine morning?"

"I'M DOING EXCEPTIONALLY WELL. OH? DID I WAKE YOU UP?"

"Nah. I got up a couple of minutes ago. Would you like to come in? I'm sure that you're freezing your collar bones off out there."

"THANK YOU FOR YOUR OFFER, BUT I WAS WONDERING IF YOU'D LIKE TO HELP ME RECALIBRATE MY PUZZLES. THE HUMAN IS ASLEEP AND SANS IS TOO LAZY TO DO HIS OWN."

"Sure. Let me just get some coffee before we go." You stepped aside to let Papyrus in, heading towards the kitchen for your beverage. After living in Snowdin for a while, you'd gotten the knack for coffee. You heated up the remnants of yesterday's brew, pouring it into a metal thermos. You skipped back into the living room, Papyrus waiting for you at the door.

"ARE YOU READY TO GO?"

"Yep!" You always kept a spare key on you, just in case of an emergency. You locked up behind the two of you, making sure that everything was off before turning to meet Papyrus.

"Let us be off!" And with that, the two of you had begun a long trek up the Snowdin slopes. Every once in awhile, the two of you would secretly lob snowballs at each other. You got a few snowballs in Papyrus's eye sockets while Paps had absolutely filled your ears with snow. Within an hour, the artificial sunlight had completely dawned, the fresh sheets of snow glinting white in the light.

"Yo Paps! How many people have fell off of the side on this one?" Papyrus had looked up from his tile, a thoughtful expression on his skull. You were working on another tile, this one being on the edge of the ice puzzle. People were supposed to skate across it and land on the tiles in the correct order to advance. Unfortunately, the puzzle was surrounded by a deep trench that hopefully nobody fell off of.

"QUITE A FEW MONSTERS HAVE FALLEN OFF. THANKFULLY, THERE IS A HUGE CLEARING UNDERNEATH US, SO MOST OF THEM LAND THERE!"

"Uh. Most?" Papyrus had put a lone finger before his skull, as if saying "shh" before going back to his work. You'd gazed over the edge of the puzzle, looking into the deep trench below. Damn that was deep. Heh.

"ALRIGHT! WE ARE DONE WITH THIS ONE! ONTO THE NEXT ONE! NYEHEHEH!" Papyrus had stood up from his tile, you just then finishing yours. You stood up, your paws being shaky after sitting for so long. The two of you were about to head back towards the Ruins when a cyan blip had caught your attention.

"BROTHER! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? THE MONSTER CHILD AND I HAVE BEEN RECALIBRATING _YOUR_ PUZZLES FOR TWO HOURS!" Sans stood lazily on the bridge of the ice puzzle, peering at the two of you with mild interest. Papyrus could only stomp his feet in frustration at his brother's laziness.

"Yo." You waved tiredly at Sans, absentmindedly hitching your paws in the pocket of your hoodie.

"nothing much. the kid is looking for the two of you. they went back to the ruins."

"OH GOODY! MAYBE THEY CAN HELP US CALIBRATE YOUR PUZZLES TOO!" Why would Papyrus be excited at the prospect of more puzzle calibrations? Your paws were aching by now and you'd rather sit near a burning fire than calibrate more puzzles.

"nah. the dog sentries said to just leave the puzzles alone until tomorrow."

"WHAT?! BUT SURELY THEY JEST?"

"nope." A small part of you was glad that you'd be able to retire from your puzzle duties, but Sans had decided to bring up another set of quests.

"hey. don't you have to explore the core and the capital, kit?" You inwardly sighed, a grim expression on your muzzle. You were looking forward to being lazy ALL WEEK. Papyrus had perked up at your toil, getting more and more excited at the prospect.

"True. I DO have to map those lands out too… I guess that since we have all day to do something, that we could do some mapping. Meh. I'll map… the Core. I'll save the capital for another day."

"HOORAY! I'LL GO AND FETCH THE RIVERMAN!" And with that, Papyrus was gone. Heavy puffs of snow flew after him. That left you and Sans. You shrugged and headed towards the Ruins.

"Guess that means that I'll have to tell Frisk. You comin' with us?"

"nah. the couch is waiting for me."

"Well then. See ya later, Sans. Who knows? I might bring you back a souvenir!" Sans had vanished, leaving you to continue onwards.

It had taken a while for you to get back to the Ruins, the tip of your tail gathering frost. You'd arrived at the door of the Ruins, the gentle snow from earlier turning into that of a blizzard. You rapped gently on the stone doors, silently waiting for Toriel to answer. Within a few minutes, you heard heavy footfalls and the sound of stone doors creaking open. Two knocks followed on the other side of the door. Wait what?

"Wha-"

"You tell the joke!" Dammit Toriel! She often did this when you needed entrance to a certain place. You heavily sighed and knocked twice on the door.

"Who's there?" You thought for a minute, your right paw laying against your cheek.

"Ruin." You heard a dry chuckle from the other side of the door.

"Ruin WHO?"

"How would you feel if I left _RUIN_ the cold? Seriously, though. I've come to pick up Frisk. Sans says that they came looking for Papyrus and I." From where you were standing, you could here Toriel's vivacious laughter echoing from the other side of the door.

"*snort* Here. Let me let you in." The heavy stone doors had opened quite dramatically to reveal Toriel giggling near the faraway wall. You stepped inwards, closing the giant stone doors behind you.

"Oh hardy har har. Very funny Toriel. Thanks for letting me in. I was freezing my tush off out there." You knew for a fact that both Sans and Toriel hated it when anybody cursed, so you took extreme care not to curse around them. Especially Papyrus and Frisk.

"Come with me my child. They're waiting upstairs." Toriel had taken your small brown paw in her giant white one, and had led you through the corridor. The warm air from upstairs slowly sank into your gray hoodie, a thankful sigh escaping you. You'd padded quietly up the stairs, a familiar parlor sliding into view.

The door hinges had been fixed, the material consisting of titanium instead of brass. Smart move Toriel. Everything had looked as it did when you'd broken in, the only difference being the various pictures that hung on the walls above the stairs. It felt very homey in here. Toriel had stepped off towards the kitchen, saying that Frisk would be waiting in their room. It was the first door to your left. You padded into the hallway on your left, stopping to sniff the golden flowers that rested in a vase. They reminded you of Flowey in a certain way. You wondered how he was. You came to the first door, knocking three times before waiting. From your side, you could hear hurried footfalls and the sounds of demonic shrieking. How the hell could Toriel not hear this?

"Oh. It's YOU." You recognized that hideous growl from anywhere! The door had swung open to reveal two children and a waving flower. The first child was Frisk, snugly tucked away in a bright red blanket. They smiled as you entered the room. The second child was somebody who you didn't recognize. They had dark red hair with ruby red eyes. They wore a green and yellow sweater with brown shorts, black leggings, and black boots. They gave you a charming grin and returned towards talking to Flowey. He paid you no heed, as him and the red-haired child started bickering again.

"Sup Frisk. Toriel said that you were looking for Papyrus and I. Also, who's your friend with the red hair?" All of the noise had suddenly disappeared, the door behind you swinging shut. The red-haired child had grinned mischievously at you again, Frisk hurrying to silence Flowey who was about to say something.

"I'm Cha-"

"Pthbth- Get your hand out of my mouth you peasant! Bleh!" Flowey had spat Frisk's small hand out of their mouth, turning to face you with a glare.

"What? Was I not supposed to acknowledge that there's somebody in the room who I don't know?" Flowey had laughed and had motioned with his petals towards Chara.

"Yeah. We thought for a second that you couldn't see them."

"As in, like a ghost? Because I can see ghosts. Sometimes." You shrugged and turned back towards Frisk.

"Anywho, Papyrus and I are heading off to explore the Core. You can come with us if you want, your friends included. Just a heads up, seeing as how Papyrus and I will be waiting for you near the river." Frisk nodded, excitedly leaping out of their bed.

"Kudos." You turned around and left the room, heading back towards the parlor.

"Leaving so soon dear?" Toriel had called from the dining room. She held a steaming pie in her paws, the smell of cinnamon and butterscotch reaching your nose. You shrugged and turned towards the stairs.

"Yep! Papyrus and I are touring the Core today, and Frisk wants to come with us."

"Oh dear! I suppose that I should help them set up! Would you like some pie before you go? It's awfully cold out there.."

"No thanks Toriel. I'm not that fond of pie anyway." But Toriel was having none of it.

"Then I'll make you some hot chocolate! Stay there while and I go and get it!" You leaned against the banister, absentmindedly eyeing the decorations around you. Does Toriel know about Chara? They looked like Frisk's twin, albeit, a more adult-looking twin. Toriel had returned with a HUGE thermos of hot chocolate, the additional cup warming up your paws.

"Here you go dear. I'll tell Frisk and Flowey that you'll be waiting for them. Do take care and stay safe!"

"I will. Have a good afternoon Toriel!" With that, you made your way down the stairs, the fibers tickling the underside of your paws.

"Papyrus, I'm here!"

"MONSTER CHILD! RIVERMAN SAYS THAT HE'LL WAIT FOR US AT THE DOCK! IS THE HUMAN COMING?"

"Yep. We might have two additional passengers, but I'm sure that we'll make it."

"THE MORE, THE MERRIER!" You'd taken out two cinnabunnies that you'd bought at the Snowdin store. Still warm. You handed one to Papyrus, taking your own between your paws. You began to nibble at the soft ears, gazing into the snowy forest. The tasty treat reminded you of the nimble rabbits that dwelled on the surface. Those fuckers were hard as hell to catch and kill. Trying to nab one with an arrow was nearly impossible.

It had taken a while for Frisk and Flowey to get there, the two heavily bundled up in snow clothing.

"We're here! God, it's cold out here!" Flowey had grumbled from his place on Frisk's shoulder. You giggled to yourself, standing up from your long bout of sitting. You stretched, pulling a few bones but that was all.

"Pff!"

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Papyrus was eyeing you with horror, his cinnabunny already finished. You slowly moved your arms back to your sides, shrugging.

"It was just me stretching. Nothing to be worried about Paps. So… who's ready to go tour the Core? Hey! That rhymes!" The four of you had made your way towards the dock, the riverman waiting for you there. He was talking to himself again. Meh. Who were you to judge?

"To Hotland?" The riverman croaked, their voice hoarse and brittle.

"TO HOTLAND, MY GOOD SIR!" You and Papyrus had seated yourselves at the end of the boat, Frisk taking up the front seat. The two appeared to be having a conversation, the majority in hushed whispers. The trip consisted of Papyrus chatting with the riverman, Frisk and Flowey talking in whispers, and you having nothing to do. It was a LONG way to Hotland. You turned around in your seat, looking back at the water as it rippled behind the boat. Unbeknownst to you or the others, you'd began to sharpen your claws on the bottom of the bench in hunger.

Lately, all you've been thinking about were the various meats of wild game. The vulgar thoughts seemed to come to you in the most inappropriate times possible. You were at the Snowdin shop earlier, and as the rabbit cashier went to go dig out your cinnabunnies, you found yourself salivating at the memory of stewed rabbit. When you hung out with Undyne and Alphys for anime nights, you found your mouth watering at the faint memory of river bass. But let's not forget the worst one of them all. When you were a small kit, your parents had hunted down a special treat for your fourth birthday. What was that special treat? Why, it was a goat. A mountain goat to be precise. They'd specifically hunted down the one with the curliest horns. But it was sooo good… Of course, whenever you're near Toriel, the taste for goat pops up. Why did ignoring the urges have to be so painful?

It's not that you were gonna eat the shopkeepers or anything. Just… nevermind. _**What you wouldn't give for just a tiny nibble of goat meat, though.**_ SEE? Thoughts like that plagued your mind daily, but that's just skimming the water. Constantly being around Frisk had its toll. When you were living up on the surface, you were constantly led to believe that humans were bad and that they were no good. Here in the Underground, you were constantly badgered by Frisk to play with them. That only led to primal thoughts popping up here and there. One in particular, showed a human leg caught in a bear trap. The more you thought about it, the more anxious you became.

Unknown to YOU, both Papyrus and Flowey had noticed your long claws dragging against the bottom of the wooden bench.

"Woah."

The boat had finally reached Hotland, your claws returning to their sheathes. You stretched happily before stepping out of the boat. When everybody had stepped out, the riverman had taken off without a word, his long wooden boat sailing off towards wherever. The four of you had begun your journey through Hotland, but because three of you were very lazy, you decided to take the elevator instead. You'd arrived at MTT Resort, the granite fountain inside being broken. Pools of water flooded the plaza, the excess running over the stairs.

"WE'RE HERE! QUICKLY!" Papyrus had ushered you all through the plaza and out of the resort. Within seconds, you were standing on a long bridge, the faint sounds of music disappearing without a trace. A pitch black cavern waited below you, a grim reminder to keep going.

"I'VE NEVER BEEN IN THE CORE BEFORE! WHAT DO YOU THINK IT'S LIKE IN THERE?" Frisk had signed a couple things at Papyrus, Flowey keeping pace as you strayed towards the back. You'd made sure to pack your map with you. You quietly took out your long map and a few inked quills. You marked down the bridge, the four of you walking into the next room.

There was an elevator and two hallways that led towards different rooms.

"Which way should we go?"

"I WONDER WHAT'S ON THE LEFT. I'M GOING THAT WAY!" Frisk and Flowey had eagerly followed Papyrus leaving you to explore the right hallway. You slowly padded into the next room, marveling at the huge mess. It looked as though the floor had caved in, a pitch black abyss that spanned the distance. Various wires and switches were swinging, a few smoking. You were about to turn around when you felt your monster SOUL being pulled forcefully from your chest.

" **Time to go to sleep."** You put a lot of space between you and your attacker, readying your magic as you backed up. Your attacker happened to be a large monster cloaked in heavy armor, a giant staff held in their hands. They were snarling at you, an intense light gathering in the sphere atop the staff. With a screech, the light had turned into a fast-paced attack, you just barely dodging before a spare energy sphere had grazed your right ear. As you backed up, you lobbed a huge fireball at your attacker, the attack hitting them on the chest plate. The metal had turned a bright cherry red, your attacker screeching before swinging their staff at you.

You backed up only to fall off of the cliff. You hooked your back claws into the rock wall, only falling half way before catching your sharp claws onto the rocks. Your attacker had obviously done something worse. You were about to climb back up for another round before a thunderous rumble shook the cavern.

"What the-" Hundreds of rocks began to fall from the ceiling, and it just then dawned on you what the monster truly intended to do. He'd caved in the ceiling, hoping that it'd kill you in its aftermath. You flattened yourself against the wall, your tail wrapping itself around your ankles. Heavy boulders soared downwards, a spray of gravel catching you off guard. The rest of the debris had loosened your claws, your claws desperately struggling to find purchase. It was no good. You'd fell backwards, a lone boulder catching you in the stomach.

You could feel yourself falling, the icy wind blowing through your clothes. This was just like that time in Snowdin. NO. You weren't gonna die again. You righted yourself around the boulder, making sure that it would hit the ground first. From your impending collision, you could see the ground rapidly approaching. You unlatched yourself from the boulder, flying backwards into the air and watched as it shattered against the floor. You'd harshly landed, hurriedly limping to the sides as the other boulders fell around you.

"Shit." From where you were standing, you were completely blocked in. There was literally no way out but through the boulders. They'd formed a tight dome, the oxygen inside limited but not sparse. You didn't have a phone and you couldn't melt the rocks. You'd injured your left leg when you'd landed, spraining your ankle as you'd found out soon. This hindrance gave you little time to think. You could attempt to dig through the rocks, but they were as tough as concrete. Dirt, sure. But digging through stone was something else…

With time, you began to work at the rocks, jarring another small rock at them. You worked tirelessly, the surface of the boulder starting to soften out. Your arms were aching and your left leg was throbbing, but if you didn't make it out of here, you'd die. A sudden rumble had issued. You'd stepped aside, watching in excitement as the boulder that you were working at began to slowly loosen its grip. It heavily fell onto the ground, an open hole letting little light in. You hastily clambered onto the rock, ignoring the hot pain in your leg. You scrambled over the dome, once more latching onto the rock walls of the cave. You heaved yourself onto the wall, slowly climbing up its surface. It was grueling, seeing as how your leg was a hinderance, but you made it. With a labored gasp, you lifted yourself over the cliff, collapsing onto the splintered clearing. You were covered in dirt and debris, your claws slightly bleeding.

You were gasping for breath, the fresh oxygen of the core refreshing. You felt as though you could lay here forever… But you had to get up and keep going. You didn't know where Papyrus and Frisk were, and if they got lost, it'd be primarily your fault. You got to your paws, spotting a large staff lying near the doorway. Didn't that staff belong to your attacker? Oh well!

You limped over to the staff and picked it up, using it as a walking stick for your hindrance. Before you left, you pulled out your map and began to mark the details of the deep pit. Another warning to yourself. You hastily put your map back in your pocket, padding back into the hallway and after the others. Were they okay? You'd been down there for quite some time…

You'd limped into a long hallway, various pillars jutting upwards from the darkness.

" **An intruder."** Once more, you felt the familiar tug of your SOUL, a monster leaping out from the darkness.

"Oh fuck me!" You conjured a dense fire minion, the beast next to you giving a confused snarl.

"Attack that douche over there." Your minion obeyed, opening its maw to form a powerful beam of energy. It let out a huge beam of light, sending your attacker back into the darkness with an agonizing scream.

"Oi. Keep an eye out in the back and I'll feed you your favorite steak. Got me?" Your minion had gave an excited nod, taking their position behind you. You began to limp forward, your minion intentionally tripping you. You landed on its back, the beast gazing at you from over its shoulder. You sighed and motioned for them to go forward.

"Go ahead if I'm not that heavy for you." Your minion had began to carry you like a horse, the two of you carrying on into the next room. You'd went across a corner, ordering your minion to blast another monster who'd attacked you. They'd apparently been doing some witchcraft in this room, tinkering with the lasers. As the two of you had crossed the hall, you'd picked up a deactivated laser machine, ripping through its wires and stuffing it into your pocket. You could totally install that into your house. OR, you could give it to Sans as a souvenir. Yup. You were giving this baby to Sans. You'd soon came to a three way, an exit to your left and an exit to your north. You skipped the left path, following the north path instead.

Your choice had led you to another hallway, the lasers deactivated in here too. You and your minion had skipped this room, coming to a maze of sorts.

"Can we just skip this? Can you jump across the pits or something?" Your minion had shrugged, carrying you on its back into the maze.

Papyrus, Flowey, and Frisk had already reached the end of the maze, Sans and Toriel meeting them near the elevator. You'd disappeared during the first hour of exploring. The trio had noticed this, hours after you'd disappeared. Toriel was calmly panicking and Sans was mildly concerned for your well-being. Undyne and Alphys were too busy watching anime to show up.

"are you sure that they were with you when you guys went in?"

"POSITIVELY! THEY WERE JUST… BEHIND US WHEN THEY'D DISAPPEARED."

"maybe they're just late or something."

"MAYBE THEY'RE INJURED OR WORSE-"

"Oh my." Sans had watched as a monster of sorts came padding out of the maze. It had a luxurious mane of white and blue flames, a loud snarl issuing from its throat. He could feel its immense heat from a few meters away. The fiery beast eyed them with cold hostility, its growl becoming louder and louder until it reverberated around the cave. Toriel and Papyrus had readied their magic, a great wall of fire and bones separating the monsters. Alas, the beast had easily parted the wall and crunched the fragile bones underneath its huge paws, a small beam of light gathering in its maw.

"Calm down. They're friends. Not foes." A tired and scratchy voice had echoed from atop the beast. Oh. Sans's pinpricks had brightened as he'd watched you ride the beast. It had lazily padded past them towards the elevators.

"WHERE WERE YOU? WE'VE BEEN WORRIED SICK!" Sans had given a smooth chuckle as your figure had came into the light. You were covered head to toe in dirt and debri, your fur bloodied and a patch of your sweater on fire. And yet, you had the most annoyed look on your face.

"Oh, you know. I got attacked by hundreds of monsters, fell down a pit once or twice, got burned by a concentration of ozone, got lasered a couple of times. Nothing much really. Oh. Here's your souvenir Sans." He'd watched as you dug in your patched sweater pocket. You pulled out a huge metal ball and had tossed it at him, a smug expression playing on your dirty face.

"I found a laser so I brought you a laser. It doesn't work unless you hook it up. I was going to make a laser gun out of it, but then I thought " hey, why not give this conspicuous and suspicious looking laser to Sans." So here ya' go. Enjoy your pirated death machine." And with that, you and your fiery beast walked right on by and into the elevator.

"I'm going home. My ankle is killin' me. See ya." The metal elevator doors had closed, leaving the five monsters behind in befuddlement.


	15. Catnip And Confessions

Fast Paced And Notorious

'Rap rap rap!' You awoke from your frightful dreams, an angry grumble rising in your throat. You slowly opened your eyes, peering out into your dimly lit bedroom. Your super thick comforters trapped you on the mattress, your long tail tangled in the sheets. How that was possible, you didn't know. You rose to stretch, a loud yawn escaping you.

'Rap rap rap!"

"Hold your goddamn horses! Jeez!" You clambered out of your heated fortress, the imminent cold making the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. You shuffled wearily across your bedroom, opened the door, and stepped out into the hallway. You kept a few pictures here and there, but the pictures that Frisk had drawn were framed and nailed into the wall. You didn't want them to get upset. You almost tripped down the stairs over your tail, using your claws to anchor you in the wall, so that you didn't fall. It sure was dark down there…

'RAP RAP RAP!"

"Oh my lord! Can you just wait a few more seconds!" You screeched as you slowly padded down the stairs. You finally made it to the mahogany door, stretching one more time before undoing the deadbolt and pulling back the wooden door. Oh.

"Good morning child." It was just Toriel. Who knew that she could knock so loudly? Behind her was Undyne, Papyrus, and Frisk. Flowey sat perched on their shoulder, a scorching frown on their face.

"Mornin' Tori… *yawn* What brings you to my humble abode at… at… What time is it anyway?" Your speech was heavily slurred from sleep, your eyelids beginning to flutter and droop. As usual, Papyrus was the first one to answer.

"IT IS SEVEN TWENTY-FIVE!" Okay. That was a reasonable hour to wake you up. You just hoped that it wasn't about anything stupid.

"Oh… So *yawn… what's so important that you dragged yourself all the way out here in the backstreets of Boreas's kingdom just to see me? ... Or have you come for the snow?" You made a lazy motion towards the snow, slowly letting your paws flap back down to lay against your sides. It was just then that you noticed that the whole gang was here. You stifled another yawn and kinked your tail, a clear sign as to come in.

"Well dear… oh! Sorry to bother you if we've-"

"It's no problem Toriel. Just tell me what you've came here for." You slumped onto your squishy brown recliner, a fluffy comforter draped across it. Ah. You were warm once more. The others had seated themselves around the living room, Frisk in particular, choosing to sit on the arm of the recliner. You didn't care.

"Well, Papyrus had notified me that you've yet to travel to the capital." You gazed at her with one amber eye, her figure blurry because you'd left your glasses upstairs. After your recent adventures, Alphys had checked your vision and had diagnosed that you needed glasses. They had thick frames and lenses, and were practically indestructible.

"Mmhmm. Go on…"

"Frisk and I were planning on tending to errands there and we wondered if you would like to come with us." At that, you visibly scowled, curling tighter into your thick blanket. That meant that you'd have to leave your house and…. SOCIALIZE. Ugh. Nonetheless, one does not defy Toriel unless they're asking for a death wish and an ear-boxing.

"I guess I could come with you guys. But if I decide to hit the hay early, then just go with it. Wait here while I go get my stuff." You'd rose to go up to your room when Frisk had attached themselves to your back. They excitedly signed at you with their left hand, digging into their pocket with their right.

"No, you cannot come to my room with me." They pouted.

"Your silly expressions will do nothing to change my mind. Wait down here while I go up to my room ALONE to get some stuff. Yes, I'll check this… present… while I'm up there.. Uh… What's in it?" Frisk had handed you a yellow and red present, a neat purple satin ribbon affixed to the top.

"My child! I told you to leave that at home!" All the heads in the room had turned towards Toriel. You were the first to ask.

"So… you know what's in it?"

"Please don't open that."

"Why not? Seems harmless to me."

"It might… offend you."

"Seriously? Alright. I'll go see what this is and then I'll tell you if this OFFENDS ME."

"Please don't-" But you were hurriedly shimmying up the stairs, Frisk attempting to follow you. You dashed around the banister and down the hallway, opening and closing your bedroom door behind you with a loud 'click'. With a heavy sigh, you carelessly tossed the present onto your bed, heading over to your closet to change. You picked out a pair of long beige shorts and a long white t-shirt to go underneath a bright red hoodie. The sweater was pretty long but it only came to your haunches. You went into your bathroom, pulling out your detangling brush which didn't live up to its title. Still. You went about brushing your hair, letting it hang around the small of your back today. Barrettes were overrated. After that, you searched around your nightstand until you found your glasses, the indestructible lenses lying under the bed. You put them on, your vision coming into precise focus. You could see halfway to the librarby from made sure to tame your ear fur and brush out the knots on your tail, ending the brushing by combing behind your ears. That area was super sensitive but you knew how to do it.

There was only one thing left to do now. You stalked over to the red and yellow present on your bed. You didn't notice it before, but Frisk had somehow gotten their tiny hands on some stickers. And boy was there a shit ton on the box. Each one of them represented a cat of some kind, your favorite sticker depicting a cat hacking up a rancid hairball. You stifled a giggle and unsheathed a single claw. With precision, you cut away at the golden wrapping to reveal another box. This one was nade of cardboard with a crude drawing of a kid in a sweater and a… monster child? Meh. You snipped away the duct tape to reveal..

"You've got to be kidding me.. Where the heck did they even get this?!" Inside the box laid a collar, the main material being of dense leather that was dyed to have cyan and white stripes. A name tag was loosely hanging from a golden ring, not to mention that they even added a bell to it too. You mentally face palmed and eyed the collar in a passive-aggressive way. Humans put these on their housecats, right? Was that what Frisk was suggesting?

Well, you couldn't just disappoint them like that.. With a begrudging sigh, you put the collar down, ripping off your bright red sweater and crossing over to your closet once more. Might as well match. You opted to wear a bright blue hoodie, the frills of the white shirt underneath showing. You padded slowly over to your bed, picking up the collar hesitantly.

"Do it for Frisk. And for the laughs. Don't forget the laughs." You examined the collar, finding it to have a clasp and lock system. You unhooked the clasp, loosening the leather around your neck so that it didn't choke you. You fastened the clasp at the back of your neck, being careful as to not get any of your scruff caught in it. You exhaled as you heard the lock click into place. There! Nice and snug! You went back into the bathroom to examine your collar. Yup. Fit just fine. It wasn't REALLY offensive, but if it came with a leash, then you would've torn it to shreds.

You went on a safari hunt in your room, hunting down your map, your keys, your backpack, and your phone. Alphys had given you a phone along with your glasses. She constantly updated on what anime she was currently watching and what rating she gave it. You turned off the bathroom light, locking your bedroom door behind you as you walked down the dark hallway.

"I don't know WHAT you're talking about Toriel! It's fine, really! I don't find this present to be offensive in the least!" You sarcastically exclaimed as you came down the stairs, the bell on your collar quietly jingling. You could've sworn that everybody had gone silent once you'd came down the stairs. You shrugged at them.

"What? Is my collar too fabulous to behold? I don't blame you. I'm too fabulous for my own good. Anywho, off we trot!" You'd opened your front door, the biting winds of Snowdin sinking into your fur. Today was gonna be a good day. Or it might not be. Depends on your attitude.

The seven of you had opted to take Riverman's boat, the journey taking a lot longer than normal. Apparently, the main river route was blocked off so the Riverman had to carry us through Waterfall instead. A lone monster called Onionsan followed your group happily, chatting to Frisk and Toriel about something. All you could make out was 'lemons, angst, and fluff." What that had to do with your current situation was beyond you. You felt a sudden chill in the back of your head.

' **Hey. What do you think is down there in the water?'** Dammit. It was your overactive subconscious acting up again. When you were left to your devices like this, your subconscious often kept you busy from being idle.

'I don't know, and I don't care.'

' **Yeah, you do! There could be a giant sea squid down there! Ooh! How about a Kraken? Do you think there could be Krakens down there?'**

'Sure. Why not?'

' **Hey. Imagine this:'**

'Oh my god. Can you not?'

' **Nu-uh! Now shut up and listen. Imagine that we're riding along in this shabby boat, right? Now imagine that all of a sudden, fifty large tentacles burst out of the water and grab our boat!-'**

'This is why I keep myself busy with-'

' **Quiet you! Now as I was saying, the tentacles grab our boat! Everybody is flipping out and Undyne proposes to fix the problem, and then our boat catches on fire!'**

'How is that even possible?!'

' **Don't ask me! You're the one with the imagination!'** You gave a quiet sigh as you anxiously eyed the teal water around you. Your subconscious had put you on edge, your amber eyes making sure that were no tentacles in sight. You gave a start when you saw a lone one chilling on a lily pad, but you calmed down when you realized that it was just one of Onionsan's. But you were right to worry about stuff like that. Remember when you went to Tem Village? You thought everything would be fine but you were ripped to shreds by the small cat-dogs. Yeah, lets not go there today.

" _We've arrived in Hotland."_ The riverman continued to mumble to himself as you all stepped out of the small wooden boat. The cool river room could only hold so many people. You were the first to step out into Hotland, your bell jingling as you went. The hot breeze hit you like a brick falling at terminal velocity. You let out a hiss in discomfort, your tail lashing behind you. The faster you got out of this place, the better.

"Let's go! I don't plan on cooking on the pavement!" Undyne hollered as she made a getaway for the elevators, Toriel close in pursuit. The others didn't understand how hot the three of you got in hot weather. Undyne needed water, so being here would roast her like a chicken if she didn't get any water soon. Toriel's coat was thinner than yours but she still experienced the heat like you did. The two of you would have to sweat it out until later. You were the first one into the elevator, deciding to choose the right corner to hide in. You'd be last out but hey, the elevators had air conditioning. Sweet hallelujah.

As the others filed in, Sans had taken up your left while Paps had taken up your right. Toriel and Frisk stood on the upper left corner near Undyne who was posted on the upper right corner with Alphys. The seven of you were packed like sardines in that elevator.

' **Hey! It's your subconscious again! Wanna hear something that will make you rethink elevators?'**

"Who the hell invited you here? Get the heck out!"

' **Hmm. Nah! What would you do if the elevator suddenly flew off its track and plummeted into the lake below? I mean, we'd all die a fiery death and all, but it'd be like awesome fireworks to those who were watching! Wouldn't that be totally gnarly?'**

'And this is why I do my best to AVOID you.' Once more, your overactive imagination had began to make you think things, a thick band of sweat building on your forehead. You hurriedly wiped it away, simultaneously fighting the urge to pant. Jeez it was hot in here! At long last, the elevator doors had clicked upon, the three of you fighting to make it out of that hot box. In reality, the three of you were practically baking out here, Toriel having to contain her breathlessness and Undyne feigning ignorance to the smell of cooking fish. This blasted collar wasn't making things any better, as you'd began to sweat more in that area.

"C-Come on guys! The f-faster we get to the resort, the better you guys w-will be!" Oh yeah! The resort was nearby. That meant-

"Yo! See you guys later! I need water now!"

"OH NO YOU DON'T PUNK! GET BACK HERE!"

"I shall be first to get some water!" You, Undyne, and Toriel were fighting to be the head of the pack, the three of you panting with thirst.

"Hahhahahahhahah! That water is mine! I'll tell BP not to give you guys any!" You'd made your way to the front, scrambling up the marble stairs on all fours. Toriel was not far behind, her breath on your heels. The three of you had made it past the glass sliding doors, beelining it towards the resort store.

"Welcome to the MTT Reso- hot damn! You guys okay?" You'd almost collapsed on the poor guy's desk, Toriel and Undyne heaped onto the floor behind you. Okay, so today was already starting off on the wrong foot.

"Water *choke*.. I'll take *cough* ALL OF IT! Gimme like * hacking cough* five gallons of the stuff.." Burgerpants had eyed you nervously before heading towards the back. Not before long, he'd came back out with five large gallons of ice, cold water. You slammed one hundred gold onto the counter, telling BP to keep the change.

"Oh my~ What's this I see?" Before the others could figure out who it was, you'd stalked away to hide underneath one of the diner table, hoisting a gallon or two away with you. The stuff was so cold, your fingers went numb just by looking at it. Hot damn. You popped open the tight lid and slammed down a fifth of the gallon, a relieved sigh escaping your muzzle.

"wow. you sure are thirsty, huh?" You choked on the last drops of water, shooting an angry glare at Sans. For some reason, he'd come to huddle underneath the tiny table with you.

"If you had three undercoats and one thick overcoat of fur, you'd be dying too." You knocked back another fifth of the gallon, letting the container drop heavily on the tiled floor. From where you were, you could see Toriel slumped against a table drinking her own gallon of water, Undyne taking two gallons (greedy bastard) and hiding them near a table in the far corner. She'd hastily dumped the first one all over her scales, soaking her clothes and the floor. The other was used as drinking water. Alphys, Frisk, Papyrus, and BP were all being chatted to (*ahem sexually harassed*) by Mettaton over in the far corner. For a second there, you thought that Papyrus was having a nosebleed. Oh well!

"are you implying that i can't feel the cold?"

"Yes. That's exactly what I'm implying!" You finished another fifth of the gallon, wearily clutching your stomach as you heaved for fresh air. This was why you avoided coming to Hotland. THIS. In your stupor, Sans had taken out a bottle of ketchup, setting towards guzzling it. He stopped, scowling at the tiny bottle.

"What's up?"

"grabbed the wrong ketchup bottle."

"See. This is why you should be grateful that I came along in the first place." You whipped out your cellular device, opening up the three storage boxes that you'd installed on your phone. You opened up the third one, teasingly taking out a family-sized bottle of ketchup. It was very cold. The good kind too. You slid it over to Sans who looked at you funny. You could've sworn that you saw little hearts in his eyes. Meh.

"thanks, kit."

"No problem"

"since you've bestowed upon me this amazing gift, i'll treat you to some of my finer jokes." You knocked back another fifth of your gallon, being thankful that you'd dragged away another one just in case.

"Oh my god. No-"

"what did the air conditioner say to the monster?"

"I don't know. You tell me."

"i'm your biggest **fan**."

"Pff! That was terrible and you know it!"

"alright. how do heat lamps communicate?"

"Wha-"

" **lampost.** "

"Dude. You're terrible. This heat is literally unbearable for some of us!"

"pff!"

"What's so funny!" Sans had turned your head so that you were looking at the sliding doors of the store. The very moment that you said 'unbearable', a bear monster had come trudging into the store, a thick bead of sweat dripping from its tail. Wasn't that the bouncer from Snowdin?

"Okay. Hehe. I'll give you that one." The two of you continued to shoot jokes back and forth until Undyne had ripped the table from above the two of you.

"Are you two nerds gonna sit here and tell those awful jokes all day, or are we gonna go to the capital?!" You shrugged and killed the last fifth of your gallon, storing your extra one in your storage box. You helped Sans get up, and soon enough, the seven of you were heading out of the restaurant.

"Good riddance."

"Oi! BP! When I get back, I'm ordering my usual!" BP had shot you a dirty look over his shoulder, his whiskers twitching.

"You fiend."

"That's right." You snapped your fingers in a Z pattern before walking out of the shop, BP flipping you the bird as you went. You already knew that he was just being passive aggressive. You didn't take his insults to seven of you had now made it to the Core.

"Welp. Looks like I'm noping out of this one. I'll meet you guys, at the next elevator! Later!" You'd launched yourself into the elevator, Undyne and Toriel shooting you a dirty look as you hogged the elevator all to yourself. With a loud hum, the elevator began to move on its track, the gentle movement making you purr in satisfaction.

It didn't take long for you to reach the other side of the core. You had to pass the time by listening to the obnoxious elevator music. During the middle of the song, you heard a dog barking through the walls. You hoped that it was okay. With a sigh, you stepped out of the elevator, your butt sore from sitting. The others hadn't made it yet, so you decided to just go off on your own like you usually did.

You'd passed through a dark cavern, the neon red lights on the edge of the clearing giving you second thoughts. You'd warned your friends ahead of time that you might do this, and you'd done it again! You'd silently padded past the clearing, coming to an eery gray corridor. Sparse tendrils of buttercups and ivy snaked up the wall, a bright sunlight shining on the flags. You had a slight skip in your step as you walked, a gentle breeze rustling your sweater and the fur of your ear. From here, you spotted a long and winding path that led directly to the castle in the distance. Wow. The path divided into two separate paths, one leading downwards and one continuing towards the castle.

You took the bottom path, your paws catching on a weak tendril of brambles. You huffed and leaped over it, the bramble swaying in the wind.

The capital was very nice. It was a shame that you'd missed out on moving here, but you would've been anxious against the many monsters who lived there. You were walking on the main street, dozens of monsters milling about around you. There were various stands of vegetables and fruits lined up, a few selling books and magazines. You opted to buy a thick hardback book labeled "Stargazers." The clerk had given you a funny look when you rang it up, but nonetheless, they let you buy it. The heavy smell of buttercups and lilacs wafted through the air, the various holes in the ceiling letting in the occasional beam of strong sunlight. You let out a weary yawn, your fur puffing out in relief. Your stomach had suddenly grumbled, the vague thought of goat meat appearing in your view. No. You could just find a pub or something.

You busily flitted about, searching for a pub of sorts. You'd finally found one, the insignia of the bar bearing a riled wooden lion with lots of scratch marks denting the edges. Against your instincts, you'd wandered in, the loud conversations making your ears hurt. You were just about to turn around when a husky and ragged voice had silenced the entire bar.

"Oi! Quiet ya' loudmouths! It seems we've got ourselves a little lady in our shop 'ere!" Almost at once, all of the faces in the bar had turned towards you. You backed up a little, bumping into somebody who was a lot tougher and stronger than you. You swallowed harshly.

"Heheh. Ain't no need ta' be afraid, little lady! We won't 'urt ya'! Settle down! Take a seat!" The monster behind you had roughly picked you up, hoisting you over to the bar. A few bartenders stood behind it, eyeing you with mirthful curiosity.

'I-I'm not s-sure that I'm s-supposed to be in h-here!"

"Now that's a load a nonsense!" The speaker had appeared next to you, a monster looking to be in his elder years. He was a squat cat monster with tiny ears and a squashed snout, his tail proving to be nonexistent. His fur shone ginger in the dim light.

"Why, we're all in ere' to eat! I suppose that you were lookin' for a decent place to sit, am I right?" You sheepishly nodded, the bar roaring in laughter. The squat cat monster had came level with your eyes, his murky hazel eyes glowing with mirth.

"Tell ya' what missy! If you can beat me in nip' contest, then I'll get ya' whatever ya' want from the menu! How's that sound?" The crowd was suddenly speaking in murmurs, anxious glances casted your way.

"A nip contest? What's that?"

"What! You're tellin' me that you've never 'eard o' catnip?!" Oh. That explained it. Catnip was like crack to cats, and you just then noticed that every patron in the bar, including the bartenders, were cat monsters. Holy shit.

"Oh. That." The squat cat had winked at you, signaling the bartender to get two flagons of catnip cocktail. You must've looked confused, as the squat cat beside you had answered your question.

"Ol' Cheeky's gettin' us some catnip cocktail. Did ya know that there's over sixty different kinds o' catnip? Guess ya' gets to try them now. It's pretty strong fer' a little missy such as yer' self. Lemme know if ya' can't handle the heat." You knew exactly what he was trying to do. You looked him dead in the eye, your bright amber ones meeting a gleaming hazel.

"You're on." The bartenders had returned, a heavy flagon in each of their arms. One of them had given you a pitying look before tending to another patron. The squat cat monster had eyed you before toasting.

"To King Asgore. Bottoms up boys!" With that, you began to chug the frothy beverage, the temperature perfectly cold and very thin. It tasted kind of like milk and catnip mixed together. You knocked the entire flagon back, heavily slamming it back down onto the wooden bar. The squat cat monster had finished shortly, giving a huge sigh of content.

"I'm impressed! You're better than I thought! Well then hotshot. Think you can handle another one?"

"Oh, most definitely." The bartenders had gone back to the backroom to refill your flagons, each returning with a heaping barrel full of it.

"Think ya' got what it takes?" The bartender on your left had hurriedly handed you a really long bendy straw. You unfolded it and inserted it into the barrel, a cheeky grin on your face.

"Bring it!" The two of you went at it for hours, you finishing about seven barrels of the stuff. Catnip was a powerful drug. You were perched against the bar, your thirst all but slaked. The squat monsters name, who you learned to be Perk, was heavily slurring his words, a puddle of catnip cocktail littered on the floor. The two of you were giggling like mad men, the other patrons joining in on the fun as well.

"Hehe *hiccup* I knew you had it in ya' little *hic* little lady!"

"Darn tootin!" You took another drag of your catnip cocktail, the pleasing taste of milk passing down your throat. You knew that your stomach would retaliate from all the milk later but this stuff was AMAZING!

"Well *hic* you've earned your keep lassie!"

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm anything but hungry at the moment!"

"Then I guess *choke* that the catnips on me! Heheh!" Perk had slammed eleven gold coins onto the counter, the bartender sweeping them up with their tail and handing Perk a small receipt.

"Thanks fer' humorin' us today lass! Say! What's yer' name? I don't think that I got it before then!"

"It's Lion! Thanks for letting me experience the wonderful world that is catnip!" You gave a drunken laugh and then collapsed onto the bar, Perk slapping you on the back in a mirthful demeanor. You took tiny sips of your catnip cocktail, the sweet liquid filling your mouth.

Toriel and Frisk were listening closely for your bell above the crowd. You'd disappeared at the Core, much to the group's displeasure.

"That punk always does this! Where the heck are they?!"

"Undyne calm down. I'm sure that we'll find them soon." Toriel was carrying many bags full of groceries, Papyrus and Undyne helping her to lift the heavier things. Frisk was chatting busily to Alphys about Mew Mew Kissy Cutie, but Sans on the other hand, was keeping a watchful eye out for you on the streets. While it was busy in the middle of the day, they still might be able to find you out here. There was a good reason why none of them lived in the capital: it was a shady place, and with you so young and vulnerable, there were a whole lot of sickos out here who could take you in and trap you with them. That was the main reason that he was worried. When Frisk was exploring the Underground, he'd told the kid to steer clear of the capital for a good reason.

Not to mention that a few weeks earlier, a tiny monster tyke had gone missing in the capital. His corpse had turned up a few days later behind an abandoned building. He could tell from the way the Toriel's eyes were out of focus that she was worrying about you.

"That'll be forty-six gold mam." The clerk had stated as he handed Toriel a bag full of spices and herbs. Toriel had put the exact amount on the table, Papyrus excitedly taking the bags. However, she did not leave it at that.

"Excuse me, ir."

"Yes, mam?"

"Did you happen to see a cat monster around here earlier?"

"There's a lot of cat monsters in the Underground, mam. Try to be more descriptive."

"They're of average height, light brown fur, amber eyes-"

"Ahah! I do reckon that I've seen a monster child that fits your description!" The group had stopped chatting and was listening fully towards the clerk.

"Were they wearing a collar?"

''Yes!"

"Yup! I know your monster! The lass was scampering about, checking out the sights and all. I reckon that they got hungry because they kept eyeing all of the pubs. I saw them go into one but I haven't seen them come back out. The kid's been in there for hours. You should go check." Toriel was eyeing the man with a hostile glare, a tinge of fear gleaming in the depths.

"What was the name of the pub sir?"

"The Lion's Head. Over there in that ironic dark and suspicious alleyway, I reckon." The group had hurried over to the alley, each of them brandishing their magic in wait. All of a sudden, a huge table had came bursting through the window. Shards of glass flew everywhere, Undyne conjuring a shield to protect them from getting hurt.

"I reckon he's askin' fer' a fisticuff! Reckon we let em' have it Sher!" Loud sounds of fighting issued from inside of the bar, another table flying out of the window. Two large cat monsters were tussling with each other, both of them bleeding heavily.

"You're gonna regret that!"

"Yeah, well ya' momma sure didn't!" Toriel let out an audible gasp as the two tussling monsters hurled each other out of the window. A flurry of heaving cheers exploded throughout the bar. With a loud grunt, she stepped through the smashed window and into the bar. All of the noise had stopped.

"Excuse me miss-"

"Quiet, you peasants! I've been told that my child is in here! Well?" Toriel's paws were cupping huge fireballs, a snarl forming on her muzzle. If anything, Sans was impressed. He'd never seen her get so angry. Not even with Asgore.

"Yer' lookin' for yer' child?" A quiet voice piped up from the back.

"Yes."

"Sorry mam, but we've no goat child with us'-"

"NOT a goat child. I'm LOOKING for a cat monster." Torie's words grew more frustrated and fearful by the minute.

"A cat monster?" A lone monster had stood up, his bulk easily towering over Toriel. He had huge broad shoulders and a long scarred muzzle, hundreds of sharp teeth poking out. He eyed Toriel angrily with his bright blue eyes, his short tail lashing.

"I reckon that we don't allow any other monsters but cat monsters in ere'. But since you're lookin' fer' your child, we'll search the premises. Oi, table jockeys! We're goin' on a lad hunt!" The large cat monster had called.

"Keep yer' voice down Talon! There's be no need ta' fuss over silly things like that! Tell the mam that I have her kid and fer' the love of catnip, WOULD YA' TWO YELLOWBELLIES QUIT FUSSIN' AND ACT LIKE GROWN MEN?!" The two scuffling cat monsters had stopped squalling, bowing shamefully towards the group of seven before scuttling back into the bar. Toriel had angrily parted the crowd, the other six following dutifully behind her. This wasn't like Grillby's AT ALL. The air smelled of something funky and decaying, and it was dimly lit inside. Broken furniture littered the grounds and the smell of alcohol was heavy.

"You have my child?" The seven of them had reached a short cat monster with ginger fur. He had a large gash over his eyebrow and a tiny cowboy hat perched above his head.

"Name's Perk mam. I do reckon that I know yer' kin. I've been keeping watch over them since they've gotten here. That kid's a real monster, I tell ya." Perk had led them down the bar past a group of cats who were playing poker. One of them was hiding a spare deck underneath the table.

"Oi! Stop cheating!"

"What?! Me? CHEATING?!" Perk had led them even farther, finally arriving at a lone set of barstools. As they looked around, they noticed that almost everybody in the bar was eyeing them with cold hostility. Especially the one sitting next to a sluggish monster. Wait a second.

"Lion? Are you okay?" Toriel had placed a gentle paw on your back, you slowly returning a confirmation with a shaky thumbs up before slumping back onto the bar. The monster next to you had replied in your sake.

"Sorry about the mess mam. Name's Cheeky. I'm the manager of this pub. We have good fun in here. I promise that nothin' happened to your kit. She just happened to have too much catnip. I dare say that's Perk's fault."

"Oi! She didn't say no!"

"Ya' shouldn't have challenged the lass to a 'nip contest in the first place!" You were on the verge of falling asleep, a few hiccups escaping here and there. Toriel's eyes had softened a little bit.

"What's a nip contest?" The large cat on your right had answered.

"Well mam, catnip is a powerful herb that intoxicates felines such as ourselves. It doesn't do much but make us very drowsy but it's a good medicine against lung infections! A nip contest is where we combine sixty different kinds of catnip with milk and see who can last the longest without fallin' asleep. Out tiny champion right here went through nine barrels without stoppin'. That's why they're unresponsive. It's like sleepin' medicine, ya see?" The cat on your right was correct. You weren't' asleep, but your SOUL's were fluttering, as if they might turn off at any second.

"I shouldn't have let them walk off on their own. I'll be taking them home now. Thank you for watching over them." Every patron in the bar had bowed to the group before returning to their shenanigans. Undyne had taken Papyrus's bags, to which Papyrus had delicately picked you up from your barstool and had tucked you underneath his arm. You were out like a light.

"Have a good day, all of you!" Cheeky and Perk had called as the seven of them had left the dimly lit pub.

Your head was swimming with the smell of catnip and the milky white background of that catnip cocktail. You gave a disgruntled grunt, the monster holding you jumping from shock.

"What the-"

"MONSTER CHILD! YOU'RE AWAKE!"

"Urrgh. Papyrus?" You gave a loud yawn, Papyrus keeping you tucked under his sturdy arm. As you opened your eyes, you noticed that your pockets were noticeably lighter.

"My stuff?! Where did my stuff-"

"No need to worry dear." You snapped your head around to face Toriel, her ruby red eyes piercing your own. You held her silent gaze, breaking the tension to yawn again. You smelled like milk.

"What were you doing in that terrible pub, child?" A pub? Oh yeah!

"I got bored, and I got hungry, so I decided to go with stopping into a pub. Bad decision on my part but I regret nothing!" You declared before slumping in Papyrus's arms.

"Do you know how much danger you could've gotten yourself into?" There was something in Toriel's voice that made you feel guilty and ashamed. You stopped to listen to the anger and fear in her voice, the tone breaking your heart a little. Why was she treating you like you were her own child? She shouldn't care about you at all… So… Why did she..?

"Well, yeah but… why do you care? It's not like you're responsible for my well-being.." You were back with the entire gang, but the tension was extremely heavy. It was very quiet. You looked to be somewhere around Waterfall, the cyan lights illuminating Toriel's features. She looked ready to cry.

"Woah! Slow down there Toriel! There's no need to let the waterworks flow!"

"Papyrus, if you may.. I have some things that must be said between us."

"What is going on here?!" Papyrus had quietly set you down, the group of six leaving you and Toriel alone. You looked towards your paws, a heavy feeling of guilt settling in the pool of your stomach.

"I don't see the point of this… Why you're making such a big deal of this either.. I get that you're worried and stuff, but I'm fine on my own. I was fine in the Ruins, I was fine in Snowdin, I was absolutely fine in Waterfall, and I was sure as heck fine in Hotland!" You were fighting to keep your voice low, a loud snarl ringing throughout the caverns.

"Why do you care so much? I'm not even YOUR child! If anything, you should be more worried about Frisk than me! I don't need to be followed around as if somebody's going to snatch me up and throw me into a boiling cauldron full of salty saltines! I'm grown. I can handle myself. I've BEEN handling myself for my entire life! I don't need to babied, nor did I ask to be. If you're going to continue to do so, then fine! Do whatever it is that helps you sleep better at night! But I'm not going to keep roaming around under everybody's watchful eye!" You were spitting with rage by the end of your spiel, your long tail lashing in anger. Toriel had yet to say anything, so you weren't going to give her anything. You turned sharply on your heel and marched back down the corridor.

"So I'm not supposed to care? Is that it?!" You turned again to meet her menacing gaze, a waterfall of tears rushing down her cheeks.

"Yes! Finally! You understand it now! I don't want anybody to care! I have my OWN back!"

"It's not about you having your own back, you insolent child! It's about you being vulnerable and naive-"

"How dare you call me naive!" You howled in rage.

"You dare call me naive when I've seen things that would make your fur curl? You call me insolent when I have the nerve to be respectful to whatever you want me to do?!" Your ears had flattened themselves against your neck and your fangs were bared. They glinted white in the cyan light. Your claws dug into the rocky terrain of Waterfall, the blood rushing through your veins.

"I've had enough! I'm through being nice with you when all you want to do is treat me like a child, cause' I'll you something right here and right now: _**I AM NO CHILD.**_ " Your words had become venomous, a murderous glare in your amber eyes. Toriel could barely retaliate looks-wise. Her ruby red eyes looked frightened and fearful compared to your feral and glazed ones.

"I've seen things that I shouldn't have. I HEARD things that no child should ever have to hear. I've grown about in a completely different way than you. Yet, I put up with your jibes and your mockery, telling me that there's no way A CHILD SUCH AS MYSELF could do such things! Ha ha! Very funny! But do you ever think that perhaps there's a reason why I keep wandering off from you all? Has it ever struck you that perhaps I just want to think things over? Hmm?" Silence greeted you. With your sensitive ears, you knew that the group was still there, albeit hiding in the shadows. You breathed heavily, your tail stilling itself in its fury.

"You know what? Nevermind! Forget what I said. Doesn't matter anyway. It'll likely just pass over your ears. Besides. I can never seem to hold a grudge. Just do me a favor and STOP TREATING ME LIKE A CHILD. You wouldn't like it if I disregarded everything that you said or did, would you? I'm going back home-"

"Your stuff."

"What?" Toriel had reached into the folds of her tunic and had brought out your black backpack. It held all of your stuff in it.

"Let me guess. Cheeky gave that to you, didn't he?"

"Yes. He did. Here." Toriel had handed you back your stuff, a solemn expression on her muzzle. She was still crying.

"So you're not going to retaliate, huh? You know, the worst type of revenge is turning the other cheek. You forgiving me is just making me feel bad… But I'll roll with it. Fine. Do what you want, insinuating that I can't stop you. I'll bury the hatchet here so that we'll never have to talk about this. I'll keep under your gaze so that you'll have no reason to be angry at me. Is that all? Is that what you wanted to talk about, because you're not saying much over there…"

"I just… we all care about you-"

"Been there, heard that."

"-and we just want to make sure that you're safe.."

"But why should that be something that you're concerned with? I just don't understand."

"Because, my child.. I watch over you because you are just like my own child. Like Frisk, and like…. like Chara. Just because we are not related does not mean that I cannot look after you as if you are my own. I look after you because I want to and because I feel that with my old age, that taking care of you and Frisk should be one of my last duties." She gave you a feeble smile and stood up straight, a gentle look in her red eyes. You looked at her for a good long while before shrugging.

"If that's what you want to do, then fine. That doesn't mean that you can knock off my old habits, but If you want to spend your days looking after Frisk and I, then bananas for all I care. Just… try not to overdo it. Keep in mind that I've grown up all by myself. I'm USED to having my own back. It's a habit. Not a phase. I'm independent. I hate having to depend on anybody for anything. And if it helps, I'll try to be a little less quiet. Doesn't mean that it'll happen very soon, but maybe someday." Toriel had given a tiny sniff, her long purple tunic fluttering in the breeze.

"You okay over there? You need a hug or something?" Toriel had given a faint nod. You sighed in exhaustion before swiftly walking over to Toriel and wrapping her in a warm hug. It was the least of what she needed.

"Stop being so independent all the time, my child." Toriel teasingly called in your ear.

"Yeah, well. Stop nannying me all the time and maybe I'll stop wandering off." You retorted. The hug had lasted for a good while, Toriel crying a bit before breaking it off.

"Better?" You asked.

"I suppose."

"Good! Because the others are waiting for us, and I need to balance out all of this catnip!" Toriel giggled before taking your small paw in hers, leading you back through the caverns of Waterfall.


	16. Sled Race On The Slopes

An Old Man's Treasure Trove

The snow flew past you, whipping through your hair in a frantic frenzy. You were in first place, the snowy ground flying out from beneath you. You could hear the loud scrape of the ice, hardened and sharp beneath your sled as you skimmed over a few streams. The slack of your brand new navy blue hoodie was whipping in the wind, the cold drafts reaching in like wandering hands and freezing your fur. You were grinning, the world a black and white blur as you passed it by. The whole group had challenged you to a sledding race, you agreeing before they could even ask. And with the way that you'd smoked the others way back on the slopes, victory was assured to be yours. You gripped the rough rope tighter, your sled quickly approaching a steep hill. It flew off of the slope, a huge cloud of snow following in your wake. You could hear the hurrying cries of your friends behind you as they rapidly tried to catch up, their sleds no match for your speed. You flattened yourself behind the dash, landing in the snow and barreling down the hills, gaining even more momentum and speed than when you'd started. A tight corner was next in sight. You gripped the ropes even harder, swerving your body to the left. The sled moved with you, skimming over the fallen snow and a few tricky vines of bramble. Passing monsters watched as you flew by, others stopping to join the race. Their thunderous cheers inspired you to keep going, the tip of your ears getting mild frostbite.

You had been in the lead for such a long time, Sans not too far behind while Toriel was putting up a fight for third place. Undyne and Papyrus were neck-a-neck for fourth, while Alphys and Frisk were tied for fifth. You could hear another sled not far behind you. It was going so fast that it whistled in the wind, the crest of the sled thrusting the snow away from its hull. That was most definitely Sans.

He was actually participating in something for once, his competition harder to match than the others. Here came the big hill. You prepared yourself for the insane drop, looking to your left side in anticipation. The gorgeous view of Snowdin from the cavern peaks was breathtaking, all the while fun to look at while racing. Here it comes. Your sled flew wildly through the air, higher and faster than the last slope, the feeling of weightlessness spreading through your body. You let go of the rope, throwing your paws in the air, satisfaction at maximum. Sans had ignored the hill, his sled almost passing yours. You landed right across from him, throwing him a triumphant smile as you launched your sled forward towards the finish line. He did the same, and you two were now competing for first. The finish line was rapidly approaching, its red flag taunting the two of you. You two looked each other right in the eye, hungry stares burning into each other, heated with the intensity of the war. It was a ballsy move but right before you reached the finish line, you threw yourself out of your sled from the hood, sending you flying across the finish line. Sans's cry of losing the race was all the more satisfying as your sled had slammed into you, sending you flying across the clearing.

You landed near the thick roots of a pine tree, the sap getting into your hair. You sat up, the snow thick and clumped in your mane of which you call your hair. Your mahogany scarf had blown off somewhere in the hills but your cyan collar had remained firmly affixed to your neck. You'd go back for it later. It had been a few months since you had moved to Snowdin, each day more sillier than the last. You felt a wet snowball pelt you in the back of the head as you stood up..

"you dirty cheater!"

"Hey! I did NOT cheat!"

"you threw yourself off the hood of your sled just to beat me!"

"Nowhere in the rules of sledding, does it say that I cannot do that!"

"yeah, but you could've gotten hurt."

"But I didn't so there!" You crossed your arms in victory, a triumphant grin playing on your muzzle. You'd actually gotten a calendar a few weeks ago, the present month centered in the middle of July, yet here in Snowdin, it was still cold, like always. You heard Toriel's whoop at getting third place followed by a thunderous caterwaul by Undyne. Papyrus screeched like a banshee as he crossed, his sled going at a faster speed than yours. Surprisingly, Alphys finished in sixth while Frisk finished in last. The two were covered head to toe with snow and a few bits of ice, Alphys's glasses askew on her snout.

It was midday, the artificial lights being the brightest that they could be. You laid back down in the snow, flopping about and letting your breath out in warm clouds. You sighed and pushed your sled somewhere else along the slope.

"So who got first?" Undyne had asked as she plopped down beside you.

"Me! It was totally me!"

"well, i would've gotten first if she wouldn't have thrown herself out of her sled." Sans retorted on your other side.

"You what now?!" You let Sans recount the tale of your victory, smirking at him the entire way through.

"well, me and the kid were neck-a-neck, halfway down the hill, and right as we were about the cross the finish line, the kid just up and throws herself off the hood of her sled, and goes flying' across the field."

"Darn tootin'!" Undyne gave you a thumbs up. You flashed her a triumphant grin before laying back down.

"WELL, YOU BOTH TRIED YOUR HARDEST! LION! PLEASE DO NOT THROW YOURSELF OFF THE ROOF OF YOUR SLED! THAT IS VERY DANGEROUS AND YOU COULD'VE BEEN INJURED, DEAR FRIEND!"

"Alright, alright. I give." You raised your paws in defense, smiling coyly at your victory prize.

"However! Since I have won this round of sledding, I get the prize of choosing what game we play tonight." Ever since you built your winter house in Snowdin, you and the group have random get-togethers. During the daytime, contests are held to see who gets what: a contest to see who picks the food, and another to see who picks the games. Frisk had won the privilege of picking the food, which was thankfully not spaghetti. You'd never seen Papyrus's eyes glow so intensely when he talks about something. It's like whenever the word 'spaghetti' is mentioned, the guy comes flying through the nearest window just to talk about his biggest favorite thing in the whole wide world. Apart from Sans, that is. The food of the night: tacos! Frisk had mentioned that they were pretty good.

"TO LION'S HOUSE!" Whenever you guys had these little pow wows, you and the skeleton brothers took turns hosting them. You prepared the house thoroughly the day before: soap, pine sol, scrub pads, disinfectant, mops, brooms, air freshener, etc. Whenever they had a party at your house, the place got thrashed. But they did help clean.

You got a job working for the Snowdin shop earlier in the month, the shopkeepers showing you how to do most of the jobs. You mostly counted stock and delivered to faraway patrons, some as far as the capital. Yes, you saw the capital, and it was way too big and busy for a gal such as yourself. Not to mention the incident. You preferred the peace and quiet of Snowdin. Sometimes the residents would come to your house to ask for stuff such as sugar and other items. The shopkeepers would often let you take home the items that weren't sold, so you had a shit ton of cinnabunnies, a couple handkerchiefs, ice cream, and other junk stored around your house. You also had plenty of knick-knacks, each documenting a special event with your friends: Frisk's birthday (they were nine now), Love Day (like Valentine's but with less public affection), and others. It felt much more like a home to you.

"Hey punk!" Undyne had called you over intentionally away from the others. You scratched at your ear before replying.

"Yes Undyne?"

"Can you make tonight's game truth or dare?"

"Sure." You said in a cheeky tone.

"Sweet! I'll call Mettaton and send him the details!" You'd met Mettaton when you were exploring around Hotland for the first time. Papyrus went with them on a HAWT date yesterday, (in which you waggled your eyebrows at him intensely the entire time).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Flashback!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh Papy dear! I've got to go use the restroom for a second! Be a dear and get the usual, won't you?" Mettaton had called as they left the table. Papyrus could only see you, as you and Frisk were his wingchildren, but he had no idea that both Sans AND Undyne were there as well. It was a neat little setup hidden on the top floor of the resort. The view from here was absolutely beautiful.

"S-SHOULD I ORDER THE SPAGHETTI?" Frisk was stationed under the table that Papyrus and Mettaton were dining at. Sans was disguised to look like a potted plant. Undyne was posed to be an ice sculpture, a spear ready to be launched at any moment. You, on the other hand, were hanging from the underside of the balcony, the 1,149 foot drop reminding you of what would happen if you were to let go. You cheekily called over your shoulder.

"Paps! Get the steak! It's to **die** for!" You knew that Sans was cracking up from behind his plant, yourself cackling even though death was so close. Frisk and Undyne had suggested the casserole and Sans had suggested ketchup, but Undyne had quieted him.

"Hey Papyrus! You two should just kiss!"

"PBFTH!" You cackled merrily at the prospect, Frisk pounding the white-clothed table in agreement.

"Oh sugar skull~ I'm back!" At that, you moved from your position on the balcony, spotting Undyne's and Frisk's signal from across the room and under the table. It was go time. You moved over to a gap in the bridge of the fencing, Papyrus distracting Mettaton as to let you roll past undetected.

"And what will you two be having..?" Mettaton had forced BP to be her waiter, the cat monster eyeing the robot with superior distaste. Undyne had unlodged herself from her static position, sneakily coming over to sit with you and Frisk underneath the table. There was nothing that Sans could do except for watch. You had Papyrus and Undyne had Mettaton. Frisk would blow the air horn in celebration and then you'd grab them and catapult off of the balcony and onto the trampoline waiting below you. Undyne would just run downstairs and Sans would teleport away with the guilty secrets.

"On the count of three…" you whispered under your breath.

"One…" You moved closer to Papyrus, Undyne moving closer to Mettaton.

"Two... " You moved behind Papyrus, Undyne doing the same to MTT.

"... THREE!" You excitedly took Papyrus's skull in your paws and pushed him forward, Undyne doing the same until the two came together for a…

"NYEH?!"

"OH YES~" You swore to your grave that you were STILL cracking up over it. Frisk had just gone with Undyne, the kid blasting off a LOUD air horn before racing away into the lobby screaming bloody murder. You took a hop, skip, and a jump over the fencing and fell a good one thousand or so feet before Sans had teleported you back to safety. And by that, he teleported you through the void (which slowed you down) and back onto the couch at his house. Papyrus was thoroughly embarrassed (in a good way!) but it was all in good fun. Not to mention that Undyne had a good part of the video where you vaulted yourself over the railing and fell, screeching into the void. Good times~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Flashback End!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And who else to show up at the door, then a fabulous robot with the most gorgeous legs on the face of the planet? Seriously, those legs were finer than diamonds. Damn son. Though Sans didn't seem to like the robot superstar, you didn't mind them at all. As long as they didn't hurt Papyrus, you wouldn't melt their motherboard with your claws. But you did ship them. So did Alphys and Undyne and Frisk, so pretty much everybody did.

"Oh! And Undyne?"

"Yeah?"

"I wanted to mention it this time, to clear up the earlier confusion of last time..." Last time you guys got together for a party, Undyne and Alphys had disappeared somewhere in the house during the middle of the party. You discovered what it was that they were doing and had decided to bring it up this time.

"If I pick truth or dare tonight, please refrain from having sex in my closet. I have a guest room downstairs. That's what the soundproof walls and the guest room are for." Undyne turned lime green under her scales, looking away from you in a blushing panic. You chuckled lowly, mirthfully patting her on the back. You could easily hear their… sounds, from the hallway, and just in case you didn't bring it up, you actually posted a note on the hall door that read, 'word for word' as following.

'Please do not have sex in this closet. I had to scrape weird shit off the wall and I'd prefer if I didn't have to, each get-together. There is a guest room in this house for a reason. Thank you, ~Lion.

"O-okay."

"Thank you. If you do get frisky, just leave a note on the door. We're all educated here, no need to get all flustered and hot under the **collar**." You shot Undyne a coy smile, her returning the glare but less challenging than normal. Sans had laughed from afar. Undyne had shortly moved back into the group, leaving you to trail behind the others. As you got to your front porch, you bid the others a short goodbye, stepping inside your cozy house to change into more casual wear.

The warmth hit you like a brick, the room dim and quiet. Just how you like it. You made sure that the heavy curtains were drawn, letting as little light in as possible. They should be getting their stuff together, so you pulled out the air mattresses. No matter how old you were, the loud wail of the air motor would always scare you. You flicked the two motors on, the loud wail ripping through the silence. Heading upstairs and into your darkened room, you swapped your layered snow gear out for a loose gray t-shirt and a pair of loose black basketball shorts. You may look like a bum but you were living in comfort.

You went into the fabled guest room, setting down some paper, a pen, and some birth control on the would give you a laugh if they noticed it. BP had said that he would pay you twenty gold if they noticed it. Fixing the silk sheets of the bed _just_ right, you threw on some extra pillows and blankets. Heavens know that they'll need it. Or at least, Undyne will. You went into the linen closet, the heavy scent of vanilla and citrus wafting out. It had taken hours to get that peculiar scent out of there, the smell permeating your towels and other blankets. It was a very bad day for you.

You grabbed the spare blankets and plopped them down on the air mattresses, along with more pillows. You spread a sheet over each, a thick comforter trapped underneath their thin dominance. Giving each mattress two or three blankets and pillows a piece, you grabbed the blankets and pillows from your own bed, and plopped them down on the lumpy couch. The couch was where you slept when they came over, sometimes sharing it with Sans or Frisk. You often gave the recliner to Sans more than often.

The massive stack of Mettaton movies in the far corner were labeled according to which ones you have and have not watched yet. You turned the TV on, the only channel in the underground, Mettaton's channel, blaring to life with all of their flamboyant glory. You then went into the kitchen, preparing the various snacks for the movies. The main dish was tacos, in which you hoped Frisk could cook. The other snacks consisted of popato chisps, cinnabunnies, popcorn, ketchup, chocolate, the tears of the damned, _and_ you snuck in some catnip on the side. Toriel would never know of your secret stash behind the unused tea boxes. Cheeky had given a whole crate to you the day after the incident. You kept hordes of various foods hidden in your kitchen, the majority being junk food, in which mama Toriel highly disapproved of.

You set the snacks down on the wooden coffee table, turning the extra lights off in the house. You closed the curtains thoroughly and waited for the others to show up, tuning into whatever Mettaton was talking about on the TV in the meantime.

It wasn't very long before you'd heard three hard knocks at the door. Slowly getting off of the couch, you headed to the imposing mahogany door, peering through the tiny peephole first before opening the door. Old habits die hard for you. Papyrus had sprung through the doorway, red pajamas in one hand and an extra plate of fresh spaghetti in the other. Toriel was next, carrying a set of pajamas and a couple books in her arms, just in case. Undyne was next, bringing pajamas and a box of tea, which she handed you before coming in. Also, she mentioned that Mettaton wouldn't be coming, as they were busy with something at the time. Something that had to do with Napstablook... You didn't know why she always gave you tea when she came over. She always said it was for… something, and then she disappeared was always golden flower tea too. You'd tried it once but it only brought up sour memories. A bitter tea like that could do with seasoning of dock and holly. It would make the tea just right.

Alphys had her pajamas and a pile of anime at the ready. Frisk came in soon after, with their own pajamas and a plate of covered tacos. They smelled… strange. Sans was last, carrying nothing but a joke book. After everyone had came in, you shut and locked the door, turning back towards the rambunctious party in your living room.

There had been a drastic amount of crimes in the past few months, rarely any human children falling down into the Ruins. Even why they did, they died. None of them were as lucky as Frisk. They hit the ground HEAD on. The majority of the bodies had broken necks, scorched throats, or a body part missing after death. That was what scared you. Where were the body parts disappearing to? Regardless, none of the monsters wanted to bury them so you were tasked with it. You buried all of the bodies in a secret section of the Underground. You'd dug out the tunnels yourself, too. You'd made a catacomb of sorts for the fallen humans, having the only key to get inside.

The humans that often fell were adults or teenagers, and they always had murderous intentions. Either that, or they were suicidal and used the mountain as their getaway. They were of no use to the monsters if they were alive. The royal scientist would give the fallen humans a memory alternating drug and you were given the duty of escorting them out or killing them, should they risk anything that would be ill-received. You had always had blood on your paws. As far as the others knew, you ONLY escorted the humans out.

The reason that their SOULs were of no use was because of the large amount of toxicity in the core of the SOUL. The monsters had no word to refer to it, so you simply referred to the improper chemical balance as SINESTRA, a nickname for the word sinister. It helped you remember what the chemical was. Or at least, what it did. You had other words for it, as being sinister could come in the form of many different alternatives. SINESTRA, which you'd known your entire life on the surface, was an inky black acid that ate away at the soul from the inside. It was more properly known as a terminal chemical imbalance that scarred the SOUL and made it useless and dim. Once somebody contracted SINESTRA, there was no redeeming themselves. It occurred only in humans who'd done something that would surely give them a death sentence. Every human that had fell had had some form of SINESTRA, the majority of the cases being terminal. Sometimes though, SINESTRA was either inherited or just a minor hindrance. It was a bad thing, but the SOUL could still be used. As a matter of fact, you'd inherited a severe case of SINESTRA when you were born. It came from your parents so there was nothing that you could do for that. You would always have it with you, the effects lessening as you lost more lives. You researched this particular chemical a lot when you lived up on the surface with your parents. You had found out that it didn't occur in small children unless the child was subjected to rape, molestation, abuse, intolerance, or something that scarred them. The SINESTRA from their abuser would almost always seep into the victim SOUL and infect it. A neverending cycle of sinister and wicked traits.

Nonetheless, the monsters hadn't a clue of what it was, nor of what it could do to somebody. You didn't plan on telling them either. They could certainly do without the gruesome knowledge.

As you got back to the living room, you took note of where everyone was currently arranged: Toriel and Frisk had situated themselves on one of the air mattresses, Alphys and Undyne taking the other. Papyrus had taken the entire triple couch, which left the normal couch to anybody who wanted it. Oh wait. Sans had taken up the normal couch, hogging your super plush comforter like usual. You huffed at the small skeleton, Sans mouthing the words 'revenge' directly at you. What a bad sport. You smirked at him and ran back upstairs to your room, your tail flying out from behind you. The fluffy blanket downstairs was a mere decoy, as you knew that he'd steal that one. You gradually came back downstairs, clad in your favorite thing in the history of things: it was a giant plush lion snuggie. No. Not you, but the animal from the surface. It had taken so much time to make this thing, a dark beige blanket being the center. From here, you had installed a shit ton of dark brown comforters to act as a mane. There were tiny paw mittens in the sides, as well as secret snack compartments hidden inside. As you sat down in your cozy recliner, you teasingly unzipped the front of the snuggie, an overly large blanket spilling out. The length of this blanket could put a pool cover to shame.

You slowly sank into the large recliner, wrapping the fluffy blanket around yourself to create an impenetrable fortress of comfitude. Sans was jealous. You could see it in his one cyan eye. He was always staring at your mobile king-sized bed whenever you whipped this bad thing out of its shell. Of course, you kept this thing under lock and key. You flashed a playful grin at Sans, sinking into the endless heat of the blanket. You were sure that Alphys had turned on the heater...

"SO LION! WHAT IS THE DESTINED GAME FOR TONIGHT?"

"Welp. I decided-" The knowing look from Undyne made you grin even wider.

"-that tonight's game shall be…. truth or dare! Much to the recommendation of a friend." Papyrus loved this game, being the most competitive and flexible next to Undyne. The two of them had even made up rules for a particular version. The rules go as following.

Each person had three punch cards which were also known as 'freebie cards' or 'get out of jail' cards. You could use each card only once in the entire game, to weasel your way out of a particular dare. Trying to forfeit truths were for pansies and if you tried to pass up a truth, you had to do three dares.

If you use up all of your punch cards, you were declared 'fresh meat' by those who still had at least one of theirs, and you had to suffer a random dare put together by those in possession of their own cards. You cannot get out of this dare, and if you choose to do so, you shall be out of the game immediately for the entire session.

Side note, if anybody tries to sacrifice their cards over to you, they have to do the dare that you refused to do, or they too are out of the game.

Refusing to do a truth will get you disqualified, seeing as how there's a limit to how deep a truth can get. Nobody is allowed to ask a really personal truth.

There are no such things as double dares or triple truths, meaning that the same suggestion cannot be made twice in the same game by anyone. Doing so will force the suggesting player to chose the dare of the victim.

If the 'fresh meat' does their dare, they get to subject all of their callers to two dares apiece. If the callers refuse to do said dares, they're out. End of story. The last one standing with cards, as declared by the score keeper, wins the entire candy stash that you have hidden somewhere in the house. The thing could hold a couple gallons of candy or it could hold a righteous collection of used handkerchiefs. Depends on how many times you put something in it. Sans won the bowl last time, and you won the one before. The two of you made sure not to let Frisk nor Papyrus anywhere the candy, giving them harder dares so that they would chicken out and lose their punch cards. No, the punch cards cannot be re-used. Once they were down, they were down, and that was that.

You picked up a large taco from the platter on the coffee table, inspecting it with your primal senses. It looked normal enough. You bit into it, the shell crunching underneath your razor sharp teeth. Not bad, Frisk. Not bad at all. You all finished your tacos, pushing the random snacks aside to make way for the punch cards and the drinks. Sans and Toriel sat on both sides of you, Frisk sandwiched between Papyrus and Undyne. Alphys never played the game, keeping score of who was out and who had thrown down how many punch cards.

To decide the direction of the six players, you all flipped a die. Toriel went first: she got a six. Papyrus got a three, Frisk got a four, Undyne got a two, Sans got a six and you rolled a measly one. Toriel rolled once again: she got a five while Sans had rolled a four. The order of players went as follows, first to last: Toriel, Sans, Frisk, Papyrus, Undyne, and you, the last of the bunch. But that was okay, as you could sit here and listen to what they played and did not play. Learning their fears from the table was a fun game. You absentmindedly shoveled a pawful of popato chisps into your maw, the salt and vinegar making you scrunch up your face. Toriel was up first.

"Alright Lion, truth or dare?" Wow. Toriel was out to get you tonight.

"I guess that I could humor you first. I choose dare."

"Whoop!" Shut up Undyne, you'll get your comeuppance soon enough. Toriel often did low dares, something easy, but only for the others who could take it. When it came to you and Sans, the tougher players, she upped her game. Why? Because goat momma's got game!

"I dare you, to jump off the western railings." They all knew how indestructible your legs were, as the things could handle the highest falls with ease. The western railings were pretty tall but you could handle it. They led to a secret cavern off of Snowdin, the place being the center that manages Snowdin's artificial light. So off you went, trudging through the snow and sleet. It took a while but you clawed your way up there, the landscape of Snowdin hardly seeable from this height. You silently leaped off of the railing, landing with grace and bowing as the six of you went back to the house, cold, freezing, and ready to keep going.

"alright. my turn, now. undyne. truth or dare?" Sans had murmured from his spot next to you.

"Dare! Watch you call something lame, bone-boy!"

"i dare you to sit in the snow for the rest of the game." Holy fuck Sans. You knew that Undyne got cold in the snow, but jeez, Sans had no chill today. Sigh. He was rubbing off on you. Undyne was momentarily shocked, but agreed, helping to move the coffee table onto the porch. Alphys grabbed the heaters, while Undyne sat in the snow, grumbling. At least she was wearing something warm. You burrowed further into your blankets next to Sans, you offering to lend him your blanket.

"Frisk, you're up!" Undyne had called from across the kid signed something to Toriel, her eyes gleaming.

 _Toriel, truth or dare?_ You'd taken up ASL throughout the months, learning some of the was a good teacher, slowly and silently showing you the basic movements.

"Dare!" Everybody did dares, Sans taking the occasional truth. Frisk signed something, Toriel

narrowing her eyes at the child.

 _Do a handstand!_

"If you wish, my child." Toriel scooted further away from the group. Within seconds, she was on her hands doing an absolutely still handstand.

"Damn son!" You didn't even know that Toriel could do a handstand, let alone how casual she was doing it, not even showing a hint of discomfort or dizziness.

"Alright, Papyrus you're up!"

"OKAY! FRISK! TRUTH OR DARE?"

 _Dare!_

"I DARE YOU… TO CLIMB THE HIGHEST TREE IN SNOWDIN!" You all knew what tree it was, as you'd been the first one to climb it a ways back. It almost touched the top of the cavern. Way too dangerous for Frisk, though. Frisk thought long and hard, but in the end, threw down a punch card in defeat. Toriel had stopped doing a handstand, looking approvingly at the small child.

"Yes! One down, twenty to go! My turn, you dweebs! Lion! Truth or dare?" Dammit. Twice in one game? Sigh. You scratched a small space behind your ear and yawned.

"I don't know, truth?" You mumbled.

"Name the worst thing you've ever done!" You thought long and hard, coming back to the incident of a couple weeks ago.

"Well, I almost ripped a guy's arm off for a carton of orange juice. Does that count?" Silence.

"Why?"

"Because." Shit just got real. You placed your paws on the table and leaned in real close to Undyne, staring her down in the snow. She began to fidget.

"Nobody messes with me and my orange juice, and walks away with teeth." You were very serious about your orange juice, and kept a separate supply in your room. That fridge was always locked.

"Okay! Jeez! Your turn, you little weirdo!" Hmm. Who did you want to see fail utterly? You eyed Sans, waggling your eyebrows in a sinister way. He knew exactly what kind of trick you were gonna pull on him. You always planned a super hard dare for everybody. Even Frisk.

"Yo, Sans! Truth or dare?" The tone of your voice had dropped sharply, a low growl sounding at the end.

"dare?" This was it. He was sweating bullets. He knew exactly what type of dare you were gonna give him. You'd stocked up this dare for months, preparing the cellar and your tolerance. You rose from your seat on the porch and went into the house, going past the kitchen and into the secret room behind the living room. Perfect. It was grossly warm. Heh. You walked back out onto the porch with a family-sized bottle of pure mustard, the concentrated stuff with a few dill and mustard seeds in the mix. Extra thick. Just the way that Sans hated it. You had let the lukewarm sauce ferment for weeks, more than ready to serve it up on a silver platter. Sans had paled at the sight of it. He shook his head, pleading you to dare him anything but this terrible punishment in which you were giving him. You pointed to the punch cards, mouthing 'do it' while flipping open the cap of the rancid condiment. He looked absolutely livid, but glared right back up at you, you shooting him a wink as you sauntered towards him.

"I dare you to drink this entire bottle of fermented mustard. Every. Last. Drop." You exaggerated the 'fermented' part of your dare, making him gag at the words. You sat very close to him, a triumphant grin flashing.

"Drink up, bone-boy. Wouldn't want to waste all of my hard work and effort~" You pushed the huge bottle towards him, Sans snatching it in his small phalanges. He glared at you one last time before getting down to business. You could feel yourself smile harder as the expression on his face went from angry to nauseous and finally to disgusted. He took a slow drag of the mustard, having to hold his hand in front of his mouth to keep from spitting the stuff out. Still, he guzzled down the entire bottle, slamming it down with enough force to shatter the table if he was trying. You shrugged and gave him a pat on the back before handing him a clump of herbs. They helped to ease up stomachaches. He'd need it later for when his magic started to repel the mustard. Heh.

"Gosh darnit! I was hoping that you'd spit it out!" You pouted quietly. The one dare you thought would work on him had failed.

"not a chance, kit." The game went in a similar motion, Papyrus and Frisk being played out of the game relatively easily. But they were fast asleep now, and so was Alphys. Nobody was keeping track of the cards anymore. It was a wild free-for-all, the dares getting sneakier and frustrating. While the trio was inside resting, you guys were still out on the porch. Undyne had been moved into a heated blanket to keep her from dying in the snow. Now, it was just you, Toriel, Undyne, and Sans. The dares got harder, one of you having to belly slide across the frozen lake. Eventually, it was just you and Undyne, Sans and Toriel having played out all of their cards.

"Alright punk! Final truth or dare?" You knew what you had to do.

"Dare."

"I dare you to fight me!" Okay, so maybe you were expecting something else, like something less physical than a fight. You stood up from the table, waiting in nervous anticipation as Undyne ripped off her blanket. The last time that you'd sparred with magic had been the last time that you had fought with your parents. You haven't used your magic for anything other than keeping yourself warm and lighting up dark places. Sans was shockingly still awake, despite it being the bowels of the early morning.

You and Undyne made your way out into the snowy clearing in front of your house, the fresh snow crunching underneath your paws. Undyne's amber eyes gleamed with anticipation as she gathered herself into a ready stance. You already knew how strong she was, but you were just as strong, if not, stronger. However, that didn't entitle that you had to win. You just had to fight her. The silence had increased and Sans and Toriel were fully at attention.

"Ready, punk?"

"Yup!" With that, the battle had begun. Undyne had summoned a large wreath of spears around the battlefield. You responded by swamping your paws with scorching flames, the bluish tint illuminating the darkness of the woods. She sent them flying at you, you dodging them precisely and timing your movements to match hers. You dodged a lone spear, the weapon barely grazing your ear. The jabbing spears tore up the icy ground, splintering the trees and clattering loudly on the ice. It was your turn to move. You flew forward, sending a large group of fireballs back at her, a greater amount than her wreath of spears. It was a basic attack for you. As they flew through the air, they formed a fiery wall of sorts, trapping Undyne in a small corner of the clearing. You moved your right paw upwards, another wall of fire forming behind her. She attempted to use her turn, her magic spears pitifully melting under the intensity of your flames. You stepped even closer, the flames getting hotter and brighter.

Your ears twitched with the icy winds, your amber eyes glowing with magic. Sidestepping a long spear that had whizzed past your head, you retaliated by making the walls of fire even hotter. Undyne had flinched, keeping the walls from pressing her as she edged towards the end . More spears came out of the ground, you hopping away from the fire walls to dodge them. You heard the crackles of your fire magic, wild and free, swaying with the wind.

You could hear intense rooting from the porch. Whose side were they on? You didn't get to finish that thought as Undyne, seething with rage at being trapped, had summoned more ground troops, each piercing through the snow, but missing your agile frame. The snow had begun to melt into large puddles, your concentrated fire magic turning it into steam.

It took a while of dodging and countering but Undyne had finally given up, melting in the corner from the intense heat of your flames. That had been your intention all along. You didn't even have to harm a single scale on her. You flicked your left hand in her direction, the flames scattering and turning into nothing but sizzling embers. You could hear her give a sigh of relief in the corner.

"I think that's enough fighting for the night. Let us rest for tomorrow. You do not mind, do you Lion?" You shook your head, Toriel giving a small yawn of approval. Sans had gathered up the contents of the table, stacking up the bowls of snacks that had been eaten a long time ago. Undyne gathered the heaters and the linen from outside, stopping to close and lock the front door. It was very warm inside.

Papyrus had fell asleep on one of the air mattresses along with Frisk, Alphys had taken up residence in the guest room, in which she always does. Undyne sent you 'the look' before going off to join Alphys in the guest room. The door clicked shut with a lock. Oh my. Toriel had taken the other air mattress, stealing Frisk from Papyrus and successfully trapping Frisk under their blanket with her. Sans had moved down onto the air mattress with Papyrus. You'd settled for the triple couch, turning off the TV and setting the remote back on the coffee table.

"Good night, everyone." Toriel murmured.

"night, Tori." Sans grumbled.

"Goodnight." You purred. With that, you all sunk into sleep, the soft snores from Toriel indicating that she was already fast asleep. You felt exhausted but watched as the others had fell asleep. Papyrus had latched onto Sans in his sleep, bringing his older brother to rest snugly against him. It was one of the only times when Papyrus didn't wear his battle body, but he looked more like himself with it on. The loud snores of Sans had confirmed that he too, was asleep. Welp. It was your turn to drift off now. But… you just couldn't. You quietly rose to your paws, deciding to go for an early morning walk.

You closed your eyes, a few snowflakes landing in your ear fur. You quietly padded through Snowdin, your tail dragging behind in the snow and making a small trail. It would disappear behind you as you progressed farther on. The weather sure was lovely tonight… too bad that you didn't care.

"Boy howdy! Didn't expect you to be out all by yourself in the early morning, huh?" You started, your fur fluffing out. A small presence made its way up your back, stopping to rest on your shoulder.

"Oh. Hi Flowey. What are you doing out so late?"

"Huh! I should be asking you the same question buddy!"

"Well, It's a force of habit, so I'm just naturally nocturnal. Just out for an early morning stroll." Flowey had rested quietly on your shoulder, a grim yet teasing look on their face.

"It IS pretty early!"

"Yeah. At least it's not morning, though. So what were you doing in Snowdin. I mean, I noticed that Frisk didn't bring you along so you must've done something bad again, huh?"

"Yep!" You gave an exhausted sigh, a dull smile on your face.

"What did you do this time?"

"I set one of Toriel's blankets on fire!"

"Sounds like fun, by why did you do it anyway?"

"Because it's fun! It's simply that!"

"Well okay then. I hope you like quiet walks pal, because my walks are normally silent."

"Who me? I wasn't going to go with you on your ENTIRE walk! It's been awhile since I've stretched my stalk! And I saw you and figured that I haven't talked to you for such a long time!" You giggled and patted Flowey on his upper petals, the buttercup growling at your touch.

"Well if you're leaving, then be careful. A blizzard is coming soon and I don't want you to get hurt. Take care." Flowey had snaked his way back down your back, his flowery face disappearing in the thick clumps of snow. You let out a breath and continued on, your silhouette disappearing in the snowy waves.

It wasn't that you disliked company… no wait. Yeah, that's entirely it. You padded down the snowy slopes, your amber eyes glowing with a wild light. Without thinking, you let a loose flare of magic go, the wild flames dancing in the strong winds. They'd faded in the snow, the embers touching back down on the ground. The blizzard continued to storm around you, a thick layer of snow building in your hair. You weren't that cold with a t-shirt on, as your winter coat had grown a few more inches. The tall pine trees around you swayed viciously with the wind, the ice battering them from above. You continued your walk, the woods seeming to darken as you padded further into the dark. It was safe to say that your subconscious wouldn't find you here.

A deep growl had issued from your right, a flurry of figures darting past you. The golden tendrils of light twirled and danced in the snow, tiny puddles dotting the path. It seemed that the blizzard didn't quite extinguish your fire. The figures danced and ran around in the snow, colorful hues of fire sparkling and shimmering like wild stars. You never used your minions unless it was for something serious. Oh well.

The multitude of them sparked loosely, some of them combusting and imploding to create small explosions. You'd mastered your special attack ages ago when you were growing up with your parents. At first, you were scared of them, their hellish eyes and their jagged fangs frightening you. It had taken months to get it down, but at last, you'd conjured a minion.

They were supposed to represent a small part of you, like a small fragment of your SOUL. Each monster had a different version, some being animated, and others… not so much. Yours were ill-tempered, impatience, and wild. You could control them when strong emotions were at play. As for right now, well…

You sat in the snow, glumly watching as the tiny golden figures bobbed and danced in the snow, their elegant manes of fire flickering. They were glorious, but they'd die out soon and go back to being stale magic. You stifled a yawn, your tail flicking up snow. Hmm?

As you looked closer, you spotted a snowy white figure playing with your minions. Was it that little white dog from before? Your minions wouldn't hurt anything unless you gave them permission.

Once again, you sighed, the pale rays of morning shining from the ceiling. The others would be waking up soon. You were supposed to be asleep hours ago! And you'd been out here for the longest time too. Your paws ached with the biting cold, your eyelids becoming heavy with exhaustion. You'd really pushed your limits today. With a yawn, you flicked your left paw, your minions coming back to you as tendrils of bright amber magic. You turned on your heel, the blizzard coming to rest its fury.

You'd pushed open the front door, smiling at the sleeping expressions of your friends. Sans was all but elegantly draped over the arms of your recliner, Papyrus still hugging onto him from below. Frisk was curled up under Toriel's bosom, her long floppy ears laying on their cheek. Undyne and Alphys were still yet to be seen or heard. You quietly made your way over to the triple couch, settling yourself underneath your huge blanket. You put your glasses on the stand next to the couch, letting your eyes drift towards the ceiling. Time to get some sleep.

You slowly closed your eyes, momentarily clearing your head of any troublesome memories. The quiet hum of the heater and the snores and sleep mumbling from the others had carried you softly to sleep.

You weren't entirely sure how long you had been dreaming. It seemed to be dream after dream, you becoming aware of some, time after time. Most were dark, with nothing to fill the void. You covered your ears. An ear-piercing cry had split the silence, the sound reverberating off some unseen walls. Your ears were slightly bleeding. You opened your eyes slowly. Instead of the normal darkness that had occurred in the few previous dreams that you were aware of, a figure stood out precariously amongst the deep shadows. It had a cracked face, and it was just… blurry. Its body consisted of a thick black goop, and as it came towards you, it left a slimy trail. But it wasn't all that scary. You could just wake up, right? Right? Wrong.

You tried to pry yourself awake, thinking of anything, any scenario that could get you out of here. But you stopped when it spoke to you. Their voice sounded like the sounds a glitch would make as your game cartridge struggled to load. Even though you mentally couldn't understand it in reality, your mind seemed to filter it and play it out to you, a deep and raspy voice filling the void between the two of you.

"There's no need to be afraid of me child, as I pose no threat to you. I merely called out with the remains of my SOUL... And you've seemed to answer them." The figure swayed back and forth, their body folding in on itself. They had a sinister smile on their face, a single iris glowing yellow. You shivered, the icy cold of the void sinking into your fur.

"I've came to ask for your help in picking up the broken pieces, child."

"Broken pieces? What pieces?"

"All will be made clear when you read the tablet."

"But I can't-" The figure had silenced you with a slow raise of his hands, his body getting closer and closer until it began to envelop you. Not fully, though. It was like a giant sticky hug of sorts. The figure began to fade away into the dreamscape, the faint scent of ozone and acid trailing away from you.

You woke up in a cold sweat gasping for air, your claws digging into the upholstery of the couch with fear. You grabbed at your chest, the surface rising and falling rapidly. What a dream... You shakily looked out into the living room. Everybody was still sleeping, but in weirder poses than when they started. Wait. The tablet.

You gingerly got up, being careful as to not wake the others as you climbed the carpeted stairs. You could barely hear the soft moans and groans coming from the guest room. Guess they really did get busy after all. Huh.

The mid-morning rays of light had filtered into the open blinds, casting a cheery glow on the carpet upstairs. You opened your bedroom door, careful not to let it blow shut from the heaving wind. It was always dark in your room, the only light coming from underneath the door to the hall. You quietly padded across the floor towards the closet. On a high shelf above your hung up coats and hoodies, sat a huge stone tablet. There was an old golden key that swung from a strong iron chain. You had happened to come across it during your travels through Hotland. You'd had it for a long time now, the mystery being nowhere near solved.

You picked up the tablet, staring intently at the wording on its surface. You'd done this multiple times in the past, trying to decipher the strange language in print. Now, the words just came to you. You grabbed a piece of paper, translating what the runes said in sloppy handwriting.

"In three lands lay one piece of a broken SOUL to find. One in liquid's cousin, embedded in a coven's crystal far beyond sound or sky. One encased in nature's brood, her siren cry a goat's song to try. And one out of reach from the foam, a parasite of love and hate.. When joined together, the man who speaks with hands will arise." It sounded like a story but kinda like a treasure hunt map to you. Let's see. So, three pieces of a SOUL are hidden throughout the underground.

Okay. One in liquid's cousin? Wouldn't that be gas or ice? Didn't Snowdin have ice? Well, to be fair, there was ice in every region. The river carried tiny bits of ice throughout the Underground everyday.

One encased in nature's blood could mean practically anything, seeing as how everything was made of nature and earth. That second clue made no sense what so ever.

But, you were pretty sure the one out of reach from the foam was Waterfall. Ugh. You were getting more and more confused.

Just how were you gonna find these pieces of this SOUL? Perhaps, you would go on another adventure, but... You remembered what you'd told Frisk back in Hotland, a long time ago. That if you went on another journey, you'd bring them with you. In one selfish part of your head, you didn't want Frisk to go with you. You wanted to be all by yourself. And would constantly be checking up on you and Frisk. You certainly didn't need that when the answer to the tablet was so close!

It was decided. And just in time too. The others were waking up downstairs.

You grabbed your black utility backpack from out of the closet, zipping it open to inspect its pockets. It was decently large and could fit a couple of blankets and some other things. You packed a single blanket, your phone, and some placed the stone tablet on the bed sheets, filling a third of the backpack with spare clothes to change into.

You changed out of your sleepwear, throwing on your ratty maroon and gold sweater and your custom navy blue shorts. You ran your paws through your unkempt hair, your claws snagging on a few tangles. It'd have to do. You brushed down your tail, smoothing your ear fur so that it didn't get curly.

Bringing the two items downstairs, you set your backpack on the normal couch, the others having just woke up and not understanding what you were doing.

You perused through your kitchen, picking up some loaves of bread and some large bottles of water that you kept in case of emergencies. They could last through heat and cold, and if you were lucky enough, they could survive the treacherous waters of Waterfall. You stuck the loaves and water in your backpack, adding in a couple of oranges as to not forget to pack vitamins.

You were most likely not going to sleep, nor use any blankets on your trip unless you'd absolutely needed to. You made sure to silence your cell phone before you left, your keys stored away in your sweater pocket. You nabbed your extra large map, adding in a few more inked quills to write with. You took your gold with you too, as it would come in handy in the long run. The others wanted to ask just what the heck you were doing, but they waited, packing up their stuff and cleaning up their mess. You were almost ready to go.

You went back up to your room, grabbing your cyan collar that Frisk had made you. You made sure to securely attach the clasp, the collar fitting snug around your neck. You locked your bedroom from the inside, saying one last goodbye to your room before heading back down the stairs.

"My child? Where are you going?" The house had been completely emptied of people, the security alarms turned on and all of the doors and windows sealed shut. It was colder than it was last night, and your breath billowed out in a steam cloud. You adjusted your backpack on your back, your map hanging out of your pocket.

"On an adventure. I finally figured out the tablet, so now I'm gonna go and figure out what it's all about!" Frisk had scowled at your declaration, quickly signing something to you.

' _What about me?'_

"I know that I said that I'd take you with me, but I can't afford for you to get injured. Especially where I'm going."

' _But, where are you going?'_

"I'll find that out later. Believe me kid. If I could take you with me, I would. But I don't think that Toriel would like it if you came back missing an arm or something." At your words, both Toriel and Sans had grimaced, a reprocessing look on her face.

"How long will you be gone, my child?"

"I have no idea. But you'll see me around somewhere. I'll try not to be a stranger. I promise to return every once in awhile so that you won't have to worry." You weren't so sure about that at all. You didn't know if you'd solve this mystery or not. Before you knew it, the group had encased you in a tight hug, bidding you a final farewell. You waved them goodbye, promising to return when you find the answer. Frisk had still scowled at you, their arms crossed.


	17. A Year After The Start

A Missing Puzzle Piece

It had been a long while since the kid had up and left. They set off on an adventure, claiming that they knew what that strange tablet was for. As far as Sans was concerned, the kid was obsessed with that minuscule thing. Wherever they went, the kid brought that thing along, asking the random passerbys on the street if they knew anything about it. All of them would turn their head, and would be befuddled by the strange rock and key. If he would've know that they'd be gone for so damn long, then he would've chucked that thing in the lake of Hotland. They were to be missed..

It was the early morning after that crazy truth or dare game. As far as Sans knew, nobody had won the giant bowl of candy that Lion normally gave to the victor. It was all a hazy blur of snow and punch cards. He'd woken up to their frantic scrambling around the house, hastily packing things into that huge black backpack of theirs. And of course, that stupid tablet was back in their arms, the golden key swinging wildly on its silver chain. It annoyed him greatly, how much you were attached to that thing. How much you were determined to find out the secret of that insignificant piece of rock. You'd told them very little, bidding them a bittersweet goodbye and promising them that you'd return and say hi every once in awhile. But you didn't.

You'd been gone longer than a year, and they'd only catch word about you from the grapevine. Majority were bad sayings, "a strange monster poking their nose about here and there." Apparently, you liked to hang around Waterfall. You were sighted there a lot.

You'd missed your own birthday, Love Day, Christmas, Ghoul's Day, New Year's, and everything else on the list. You still sent them carefully worded letters on their birthdays, wishing them a happy one, all the while being vague and mysterious. You did however, constantly send them a side note telling them of your week's adventure. You'd been surfing across the seas of Waterfall, finding many keepsakes and jewels to collect. Why, just the other week, you'd sent them a giant chunk of a rich purple gemstone, claiming that the rock was one of the stars in Waterfall. It sure was pretty.

Toriel was prone to her fits, her missing you more than the others. Add that to the dying monsters and her fits looked like mere twitches. Sans was slightly bothered by just how long you were gone, your house sitting solemnly on the abandoned slopes of Snowdin. Papyrus was less optimistic than usual, disappearing for the entire day on 'training missions' with Frisk at his heels. But really, he was only looking for you. He was constantly saying that he'd capture you during one of your adventures and bring you home. Undyne was still herself, but she'd became a good writer. She was constantly sending descriptive letters to your house everyday, in hopes that you'd reply. Alphys was Undyne's pillar of support, missing you just the same, but more content to Undyne's company. You used to watch anime with her, your snarky and sarcastic comments making her laugh. Frisk, on the other hand, always went with Papyrus on his makeshift search missions, always coming back empty handed. Their fruits were of no matter, except for the lone traces that they'd find of you. A spare sweater left behind was one of them, but it was so heavily waterlogged that the sentry dogs couldn't track you down. The Snowdin shop had to hire more temporary workers to help take care of the jobs that you normally did. The residents in town were always asking about you, writing you letters despite you never answering. They sat piled up against the door, the random blizzards constantly scattering them. One of the civilians had built you a giant mailbox, the wooden crate leaning against the right side of your front door. It had a thick layer of frost building on it. To put it bluntly, Snowdin felt a lot colder without you.

Your house was covered in standby dust, snow, and ice, the thick snow piling on every available surface that it could find. The ice that you purposely unstuck from the roof with a broom had formed long and sharp stalagmites from the edge of the shingled roof. The brick fireplace that was always billowing smoke had closed with ice, trapping the bitter cold inside. It was a shame, seeing as how you used to hand out hot chocolate to those brazen enough to sled down the slopes. And yet, everyday he peered into your house, hoping to see a small sign, ANY sign that you had returned, but he'd never found one..

You never used your phone despite the protests of the group to get a grip. You replied, saying as how you didn't get the value of technology. You insisted on face-to-face conversations, saying that it built better friendships. How old were you now? About fifteen, right? Sans hoped that you were okay. They all did.

There'd been a major genocide in the Ruins earlier in the year, the monsters losing more and more hope with every passing day. Nobody knew who was killing who, as monsters were now prone to killing each other in fits of rage and violence. Toriel had left her home soon after, locking up the Ruins and buying her own settlement near the center of Snowdin. Frisk was happier that they'd be able to see the brothers more often. But there was another reason that Toriel had left. It was one of the only places where the darkness didn't reach. Everybody feared for their safety nowadays.

The citizens mostly grieved for their lost relatives, the pools of dust in the Ruins being a grim reminder. The dense population of monsters were slowly dwindling day by day, and it seemed as though they could always see dust in everything.

Sans had been a lot more quiet after the mentioning of the mass genocide, his insomnia coming back to bite him. He was a little touchy with everyone, especially Frisk, and he was always in his room, sleeping or just genuinely being lazy. Frisk had stuck close to Toriel, not wanting to cause any worry for the motherly goat woman. Papyrus, who'd finally been put in the Royal Guard, was always on call with Undyne. He was very ecstatic when he'd gotten the job. Besides the point, nobody wanted to take it, and one of the Royal Guards had been impaled with a pickaxe not too earlier before. Undyne took care of the monsters who had murdered the innocents, while Papyrus kept the perpetrators in their place by exerting fierce disappointment and a harsh disbelieving facade. It was hard to live, more monsters dying by the day. Some committed suicide while others were murdered in cold dust. It was easier to ignore the problem when you were here. They missed you… so, so much...

You'd been gone for a long while, the sound of creaking wood and the drip of water normal to your sensitive ears by now. It wasn't that you were hiding in the depths. It was more like this mystery was taking a lot longer than you'd originally thought it would. Your first destination had been Snowdin, your current home for the time being. The snowy cavern that you'd mapped out ages ago had seemed vacant to your eyes, the still snow seeming to emit a dark sense of loneliness and intense isolation. Not that it mattered to you. You were very familiar with the concept.

There was nothing to be found out here, except for the few gemstones that were hidden under the thick layers of snow. You discarded those precious jewels, having no use for them. You sent them to your friends in letters, apologizing for your lack of appearance but constantly making up excuses as to why you couldn't visit. You often had to stop in Snowdin, buying multiple items with all the gold that you'd won fighting multiple monsters. After all, you still had to map the extra parts of the Underground, and boy were there a lot of them! You hadn't seen your good friends in a year, seeing faint flashes of them every once in awhile, but you never stayed long enough to keep a conversation

Back when you didn't have a home, you spent long hours mapping out the terrain in the regions of the Underground. You thought you'd saw it all beforehand, but you came to be fascinated with the small details that most overlooked. How the tops of the caverns shone with small stones, and how tiny tendrils of moss grew in Snowdin.

It had been a cruel and bitter month or so into your journey around Snowdin when you'd came across a small jutt in the cavern walls. You'd never thought anything of it before, passing it by on countless sled rides. You chuckled quietly and rested your paw against the beige brick wall.

You remembered the time that you had threw yourself off the hood of your sled that one time. That time where you had aimed a snowball into Sans's eye socket, and that time where you had gotten utterly trashed in the Core. Heh. Good times.

It wasn't until you felt a faint pull of your SOULs that you investigated the walls deeper. You often felt your SOULs being pulled down violently, as if something was calling for it. Reaching for it. It stung.

You dug through the snow and came to what looked to be the ordinary cavern floor. What lay under all that snow was just a bed of cold rocks and permafrost. No grass grew down here. It wasn't until you dug around the sides of the hole, that you found a large brass ring attached to a heavy slab of rock. You hesitantly pulled at it, the large rock cracking with age as it rose. Tendrils of rock dust and stale air rose from the inky blackness, the smell of death penetrating your nostrils. What lay underneath the rock slab was a wide iron ladder leading into the never ending darkness of a dusty tunnel. Normally, you would've noped out of that shit and turned tail, but this was an entirely different case.

You slowly climbed down the metal ladder, the iron steps cool to the touch. It chilled the pads of your feet, your sharp claws anchoring into it. You closed the rocky opening above you, the darkness permeating everything in sight. Your night vision kicked in, but just barely. Something in here was purposefully making it difficult to see, so you constantly had to deploy your fire magic to see.

There was the occasional unlit torch hanging from the walls, in which you always lit. There were no monsters down here which made the tunnels strangely eerie. Beige brick walls lined the tunnel, dense vines of ivy and bramble hanging from the ceiling. From high above you, a large chandelier hung, the arms brandishing a pure white fire. What was that all about?

The tunnels wrapped around each other, winding in endless loops and roundabouts that never ceased to confuse you. Good thing you marked your path on the map, otherwise, you'd be struggling to make heads or tails out of this situation.

You left huge claw marks on the dusty walls, each spelling out a weird letter or number sequence that you'd invented during your time down there. You'd also mapped the numerous paths on the extra pieces of paper that you'd packed, documenting where each letter was and where they connected. Sometimes, the tunnels opened up into vast caverns, the multiples having fields or lakes with beds of buttercups and orchids. You'd ran out of freshwater a while ago, so you refilled all of those water bottles that you'd packed and marked it down on your map.

You got stuck. A lot. You constantly came back to the same junctions over and over again, the edges becoming more and more defined to you. This place was actually a small sequence of catacombs, a few chambers of dust making you rethink your decisions You often spotted a rogue spirit lurking about, but most were just ghasts and had no purpose for being there. You left the dead be.

It didn't stop you from going though. But it was excruciatingly lonely down here, as the spirits were none to gossip. You'd been down here for so long, that you didn't even need your map to make your way. You knew where the exits were and how to get to them with aplomb. You knew how to get home, the heavily lit chamber taunting you from afar. Were the others alright?

You followed your SOULs daily, their pull increasing the further you got into the maze. Apparently, there was a lone door in this maze that opened for a short amount of time. It changed positions often and you missed all of them, all the time. Today would be different. You took short little catnaps, deploying your self-defense magic to watch over you while you slept. Your mother WAS a smart warrior, after all. You shaped them to be lions, their luscious manes of multicolored fire illuminating the dull walls around you. They protected you when you rested and reassured you that things would be alright. You often got paranoid, casting one or two lions to keep the rear guarded while you explored. Your SOULs often caught that gravitational pull, you wasting no time in following. You got used to sprinting through the narrow tunnels, making sharp turns and sliding under rock walls every few paces. There was no imminent threat of danger, as you had fresh oxygen that circulated through the maze, harmless berries that grew throughout the caverns on small bushes (they weren't poisonous, one of your lions tested it), and fresh water that was drinkable.

Coming back to the present, you were still sprinting through the corridors. The dusty beige bricks whizzed past you, and to your surprise, royal purple ones were coming into view. They looked just like the ones in the Ruins. Perhaps this set of catacombs connected with the ones that you used to patrol. You kept on, not noticing just where you were. This was all very new to you, your failed attempts never getting you this far. This was a special corridor. It held the trapdoor that you were looking for. Give up now and you would have to wait until tomorrow to figure out when the next opportunity would be.

You suddenly felt the stony ground give out beneath your paws, your body trying to fling itself onto the stone walls, but failing. You knew where this was going, as you'd practiced this tactic in case of another bridge mishap. You quickly flipped yourself around in the air, your back right side up and your legs pointing towards the bottom.

But you didn't hit something hard like you expected. You FELL into something deep. It was soft and had a texture like woven silk. It was dark. So very dark in here... You were about to deploy your fire magic when you saw something glowing in the depths of the pit. You were went closer, the object emanating a dazzling white light. It was a small fragment of a monster SOUL. It floated glumly, an edgy glow to its edges. You found it... After the longest time in that hellish maze, you finally found what you were looking for. As you went to touch the soul fragment, it glowed brighter, conveniently shedding some light on your surroundings much to your horror.

You almost lost your lunch, hurriedly swallowing the bile that was rising in your throat. The soft material that you had landed in was white in color, like that of fresh snow or a shiny pearl. But it wasn't cold, the temperature being very warm. Like that of a warm hug. It was dry and when you moved, it moved with you, pulling you down like quicksand. It was dust. And there was a fuck ton of it. It was up to your knees, the amount seeming to go on forever. It surrounded you, the majority sticking onto you. You gave a sudden yelp of fear as you felt your leg be touched by… something. It felt sticky and scaled, a set of talons digging into your paw. You slipped backwards into the dust, clawing fearfully at the thing. With a hoarse whimper you clawed at the talons, the grip lessening. You scrambled away from the dune of dust, backing up in your wake. It got all over your clothes, in your hair, and in your fur. The edgy soul fragment flew into you, landing in your lap with a contented plop. You grabbed at it and ran for your life, your paws skidding on the dust.

You soon discovered that you were in a deep, deep pit of decayed monster bodies. This was not your set of catacombs. Yours had well-lit chambers that held the coffins of the deceased. The bodies were haphazardly splayed out, some of them still decaying. The smoky dust that drifted off of them floated in the air before settling onto the pile. What had happened here?

The cliff walls came into sight, you jumping onto them and hoisting yourself up the wall in a frenzy. The left over dust seemed to cling onto your tail, your hygiene declining rapidly. You hauled yourself over the edge of the cliff, getting to your paws in a flash. The opening of the pit had suddenly closed over with a thick layer of bedrock. It blended in smoothly with the tar of the floors. You turned to go back to the lake in the maze. You had to wash off all this dust before you ran into anybody. You turned to gather your items, stopping when they were nowhere to be seen. You knew that you'd took them with you. You looked down at the floor, the border of the bedrock melted into a perfect circle. Fuck. They had fell into the pit and you'd left them down there. The way that you'd came had disappeared, a new bricked archway opening up. It was very dark inside, the cold whisper of air making you shiver with apprehension.

You'd been walking for hours, the air getting colder and colder. You felt disgusting and grimy, the dust clinging to your body. Your long claws clicked on the stone floors, your fear all but gone.

All your gear was gone: your sacred map, your large amount of paper, your inked quills, your food, your water, everything. You looked at the shimmering soul fragment in your paws. They were shaking, your claws loosely tapping on the hard surface of the SOUL. The only thing that had been there when you had gotten back up was the tablet. The SOUL fragment had embedded itself into one of the grooves in the tablet, placing itself so that its light would illuminate in your paws. It seemed to fit snugly in there, the two other indentations looking forlorn. What had you gotten yourself into?

And then you felt it. The feeling of cold snow under your paws. The cold air of Snowdin wrapped around you like a hug of welcoming, a few loose tears slipping down your cheeks. You'd missed the biting cold of Snowdin, disliking the humidity and warmth of the maze. Where were you gonna go next? Waterfall or Hotland..?

You wondered how your friends were doing. You were going to get to your house first, taking the backstreets so nobody would see how much dust you had on you. There was a huge difference between monster dust and standby dust: monster dust was brighter in color and was heavier than standby dust, which was harder to see and went floating whenever you moved. You just wanted to get this dust off of you.

You trudged wearily through the snow, the snow crunching with slight pops here and there. It felt great to be home again... You'd get to reconcile with your friends again, plan out your next destination, take a shower, eat some filling foods, and relax for a bit. You hadn't been to Cheeky's in a while. You could use some catnip right now. You silently looked down at your sweater, your paws stuffed into your pocket. It was going to take a long while to scrub all of this dust off of you. You looked up. The rising lights signaled that it was the start of the early morning. You heard a husky voice up ahead. Nowhere to hide...


	18. Player Number Three

Your Best Friend

Sue was what you would call a freak. He was born blind but his parents hadn't known until after he'd turned six. He was also defined as mute, and because of these reasons, his parents didn't like him very much. He was a mammoth of a kid, his growth spurts hitting home extremely early in his childhood. He had large shoulders and a stocky frame for an eleven year old. With bleached blond hair and crystal blue eyes, most kids would say he was a pretty boy. They were... wrong.

Sue was the only kid in his class that liked to write stories, the only thing that could take him away from reality and make him happy. Truly happy. He didn't mind not being able to see, as it didn't stop him from being himself. The stories that he made up were vivid and spontaneous, his teachers often awarding him for his great potential. He kept all of his stories in a large cardboard box under his bed. The other kids often made fun of Sue because of his disability and his strange knack for writing.

For the longest time, Sue had wanted the one thing that his relatives couldn't buy. They had kept trying to buy his love and affection, beating him when he didn't warm up to him. When Sue was ten, his parents had died in a horrendous car crash. The officials said that the car had detonated due to the momentum of the collision. Begrudgingly, his aunt and uncle took him in, treating him with the same abuse and miscare as his parents did. He was fed once a day and wasn't allowed to leave his room unless leaving for school or mowing the lawn.

He never mourned for his parents, because they never felt like parents to him. The one thing Sue wanted in the whole wide world, was for his best friend to some back.

When Sue was a little boy, about five or six, he had discovered that there was this other kid living in the basement underneath his parent's room. They were never allowed to come out, nor did they ever show their face to him. But despite that, they were really nice. They always talked to him and comforted him when he desperately needed it. Their name was Lion, or so they'd said. They sang him lullabies to chase away the storms, read stories to him at night, helped him with his homework and so on. But he wasn't dumb. There was a reason that his parents kept the basement door locked up for. They always warned him not to go into the basement, or to tell others. Inside, he could never work up the courage to tell anybody.

But the walls were extremely thin. He could hear everything his parents did to the kid, beating them, torturing them, threatening them. They did the same things to him but never as violently as they did to them. After each beating, he would go down and comfort them. The strange thing was that they were always okay, never needing to be helped. They had their own back, and was instead comforting him. He never spoke to his parents, but only to Lion. They were the only one to deserve that privilege.

Years had gone by and he'd gotten really close to them. Sometimes, he'd doodle on his schoolwork and ask them if he could take a guess at what they looked like.

"I don't think I look like a snake! Try making it more friendly. It's not as if I'll bite someone's head off if I get out of here." They chuckled as they slid the paper back under the mahogany door, the schoolwork finished.

And it was one day at school, when the teachers pulled him out and told him that he'd be living with his relatives for a long time. Sue had never asked why, as he had gathered up his papers and left in the thick silence. He thought that his relatives would treat him with respect. That they'd give him the love that Lion had given him. They didn't. They did much worse than his parents, Sue having to adapt to wearing long jackets and pants in the hot summers to cover up his scars and bruises.

He once ran away, back to his old house, in hopes that Lion would still be there. It'd been a particularly hard day, his aunt berating him for the seventeenth time for not doing his homework. It was much too hard for him. Lion used to help him with this stuff. How did they do it?

When Sue had arrived at his old house, he stopped to gaze at the old gates. The thick golden gates to his house were covered in ivy and cobwebs, the gate thoroughly locked from the inside. Not that he could see it, but he could most certainly feel that something was off. He'd found a way around it, timidly stepping up the steps to his home. The brazen granite front doors were locked, but the broken windows served as another entry. From inside, Sue could tell that the place had been broken into, but nobody was here as of now.

He slowly made his way down the basement stairs, finding that the mahogany basement door had been ripped off of its hinges. Large claw marks were embedded on the inside of the door. Not a snake, indeed. They weren't here. He glumly noted the various claw marks on the bookcases, the burnt textbooks, and the loose papers that had been scattered about here and there. He spotted the written conversations in an old textbook, unharmed by the vandals. This was where Lion was all the time…

She had once told Sue that she wasn't human. And that was the sole reason as to why she was trapped in the basement. And Sue didn't judge, keeping her company all the while. As Sue lay in bed back at his relative's place, he wondered where they were and wondered if they'd ever come back to free him. He hated this place. He hated his relatives. He hated his existence…

That same night, Sue had snuck out of the house. He was done with the abuse and done with the scars. Lion had told him once of a mountain not too far away. Mt. Ebott, he recalled. All of the monsters were stuck underneath it and the power of seven human SOULs could set them all free.

Perhaps, Lion was with their kin as of the present. After all, they were much kinder to him than any human could ever be. Maybe all of the monsters were as kind as them..?

He made it to the base of the mountain, the whistling of the wind in the trees making the trip even more eerie. It hadn't taken long until he had found it: a large rocky opening on the east side of the mountain. It went back in the depths for a while. Sue diligently followed the dusty path, his thin shoes now sopping wet, squelching against the floor. He knew that there was a huge hole in front of him, the drop making him swallow in anxiety. It appeared not to have a bottom. Suddenly, something pushed against him, sending him spiraling into the depths below.

It was a quiet day in Snowdin, the snow seeming to dim the shimmering lights in the sky. Toriel listened bluntly to the hypnotic ticking of the grandfather clock in the parlor as she read her book. She looked up from her novel, watching as the thin golden pendulum went swinging, back and forth, back and forth... She glanced wearily at the clock face. It was almost dusk, the windows letting in little light as more frost glossed the panes. Frisk should be here at any moment now.

Earlier in the evening, she'd baked a large cinnamon-butterscotch pie, the remnants of the dish cooling on a coaster. It seemed as though Frisk had lost their determination to do anything. The only thing they did do was go with Papyrus on search pointless search missions.

Toriel remembered the small cat child who had went missing over a year ago. It had been such a long time since they had seen you. Sure, you had left your house and your belongings behind, but it didn't feel the same. You had left on a journey only to never be seen again. They only times that you WERE spotted was by random monsters taking walks in forbidden places or a slim chance that they had found a trace of you beyond Snowdin.

NO. Toriel, get yourself away from those thoughts. She shook her head to disband those dark thoughts, assuring herself that Lion was still alive… somewhere. Much to her mild amusement, her right ear had settled itself snugly on her snout. Toriel puffed and went back to her book, the tendrils of flames from the fireplace illuminating the pages.

Frisk had returned home shortly, slightly brightening at the smell of pie. Their clothes were soaked through, a small smile gracing her features. No sightings today, huh? Toriel was about to have another slice herself when Alphys and Undyne had burst through the locked door, a small potted plant in tow. Ah. Flowey. The pessimistic and troublesome plant was never around as much, comparable to a dull phantom in the underground. He never stayed in one spot for too long, going here and there without so much as a peep.

Undyne was the first to speak, hauling the small lizard on her back with the flower pot balanced precariously on her head.

"A human! A human has fallen!" Undyne was out of breath, Alphys not exactly fit either. She was gripping something tightly, a small titanium remote clutched in her shaky claws. It was blinking wildly, a red to yellow sequence spazzing out on the control panel. That meant that the human was a child. Red on red meant an adult had fallen, red on yellow meant a child, and red on green meant a false alarm.

Sometimes, Flowey monitored the hole, watching to see if anything had fallen down the hole. After all, nobody lived in the Ruins anymore. There was one time, where he was present to see a kid fall into the catacombs. He was disappointed to find out that the kid was just some dumb monster from the surface. They'd been unconscious when they'd fallen, which was perfect. Well, that was what he'd thought. Flowey had frisked the kid immediately, finding nothing of importance on them. Is wasn't until the kid had suddenly disappeared that he became slightly worried. The people who monitored the catacombs had installed cameras by the hole before Toriel had closed up. He'd gotten worried that they'd be stuck down here forever. So you could only guess the calamity that a human falling into the underground would cause...

Toriel had been the first one out the door, Frisk and the others not too far behind. She was the only one who had the keys to the Ruins, the king having the other. It had taken a while to power through the blizzard, meeting up with the others at the door of the catacombs. If there truly was a child in the Ruins, then there was hope that the monsters could go free.

Of course, that meant that they had to protect the child their entire way to the barrier. Toriel wasted no time in fitting the key into the thick lock, the giant purple doors swinging open. Standby dust and monster dust had gathered everywhere in her absence, flying into the air as the cold drafts blew in from Snowdin. Undyne closed the stone doors behind her as the others hurried up the stairs.

It had been such a long time since she'd been here, the carpets old and holey from abandonment. The stale scent of old books and dust hung in the air, along with the scent of something burning. The group skipped past the old house, hurtling out the door.

It had taken a while to get past all of the unnecessary puzzles, but they had finally made it to the hole. Weak moonlight filtered in from the hole above, the buttercups glistening with rain and dew. The monitor was right. Laying in the middle of the damaged buttercups, was a small child, unconscious but physically okay, apart from a few cuts and bruises.

Toriel went to go pick up the child, studying their features as she approached: short bleached blonde hair, pale milky skin, a baby blue parka, and olive shorts along with some dark gray sneakers. It appeared to be a boy, some years older than Frisk.

Undyne came up to the child next, placing her scaled hand over its chest. The others watched in unbridled happiness as Undyne brought forth a cyan human soul, a strong glow emanating from the center. Patience. They had a pure patience SOUL. It may have just been the greatest thing to happen since Lion left. A big step towards the liberation of monsters. Undyne pulled up their stats.

Sue Donovan

Hp: 48

Lv: 1

Exp: 0

To the Next Lv: 10

Atk: 13 Def: 57

SPA: 0 SPD: 0

EVA: 42 ACC: 76

For the rest of the way, Toriel held the child close, Frisk peering over at the boy from their position on Papyrus's shoulder. There was no trace of SINESTRA in his SOUL, thank god. The only thing to do now was take the kid back to Snowdin. They were now saddled with the task of getting the kid on their side. At least now, the future didn't look so bleak.

The child had been asleep for some time now. They refused to eat or intake anything that Toriel had given them, spitting it back up when fed when asleep. When the child had awoke, they were strangely okay with that fact that everyone was a monster, more or less what they had to do. They were okay with the fact that if they refused to help the monsters, that they would be casted away. The child was only here for one reason. They were looking for another monster, whose name was known as just a whisper now. The child was looking for a monster named Lion.

The group had confessed to knowing the monster child, only to put him down by saying that she had went missing over a year ago. They'd met the monster child during a human hunt in the earlier days.

He was blind but very friendly, the majority of his time being spent talking to the other monsters and Frisk. He was very patient with earning the monsters trust, most disbelieving him and trying to take his SOUL.

Sue was a whole deal happier than when he was at his relative's house on the surface. Sure it took a while for the monsters to trust him, but they were a great deal nicer. They never hurt him or made fun of him, and after while of reassurance, the residents took to him immediately. Nobody made fun of his blindness or his choice to be mute, as a young monster kid who happened to have no arms had became a close friend of his.

There was another human child by the name of Frisk who was constantly at his side. They didn't talk much, instead using a translator that Alphys had created, to talk to him. Either that, or they communicated using fake psychic abilities. He lived with the kid after all. Toriel had been so kind to him, accepting his flaws and showing him around Snowdin.

The one thing that concerned him was Lion. She was somewhere in the Underground, lost as to everyone's curiosity. His best friend missing of two years, has been down here, doing something away from the other monsters. Sue often joined Papyrus on his search missions, desperate to find the monster child but failing utterly.

Sue didn't mind the snow, and besides, it was relaxing to listen to Toriel's stories. It was nice down here. He was right about the monsters. They showed much more compassion than humans, and he enjoyed being with them. The others weren't too hard to take to him. Toriel taught him how to cook, Undyne brought him along for her daily outings, Alphys showed him various mangas, Sue reading them in Braille, Papyrus brought him out for playdates, which were always fun, Frisk walked them everywhere and practically asserted themselves as the alpha sibling, and Sans. Well, Sans was here and there these days, but on the days where the two were together, they did science.

Only, Sue was forbidden to tell the others. They had their own mutual agreement. It would be soon, that Toriel would allow him to go out and venture the other zones. Perhaps, Lion was out there somewhere. He would find her, no matter how long it took.


	19. The Love Of Death

Once

The voice from ahead had gotten significantly closer, loud footsteps crunching on the fresh snow. They were rapidly advancing, her silhouette shielded by the snow that whipped around your face. You ducked away into the forest, the foliage doing nothing to repel your pursuer. You were desperately trying to hide, the dust on your hoodie being a dead giveaway of something that you did not do.

The footsteps were getting even closer, almost behind you now. Snap! Something hard and tough closed tightly around your long tail, dragging you towards it. You cried out, hot pain shooting up your spine. You tried to hold onto the thick trees, your sharp claws digging into the splintering bark. You tried to reach the safety of the branches, your claws beginning to slide off of the bark. Useless. Your tail felt as though it was being ripped off with a bear trap. Suddenly, the tree bark gave away to your slipping paws, your small body flying backwards by the sudden sharp tug. It wasn't who you had expected it to be, no, not at all.

The person who was pulling you was Undyne.

You knew why she had attacked you out of nowhere. Not because she hadn't seen you in forever, no. It was because you were casually covered in dust from head to toe, the thick powder beginning to crust between your paws.

You didn't get a chance to say anything as you felt your SOULs being violently ripped from your chest. Out in the open, you were vulnerable. Extremely vulnerable. You were about to run until, you involuntarily stopped, the air forcibly knocked out of your lungs. Your SOULs had turned a dark pine green, the murky color mixing with your own.

"What did you do?" It wasn't a question as she never waited for your answer. You could feel her intense anger from all the way across the clearing. Her own SOUL floated freely in the blizzard, a white monster SOUL muted with anger and disgust. You could feel the quickened pulse of her own, forcing your SOULs to synchronize with her own. There was no way you were getting out of this now. Your right ear twitched. You nearly dodged the spear, the tip ripping through the shoulders of your jacket. The dust that clung there, did not float but sank almost immediately. A sign of monster dust. Shit.

More and more spears rained down, nicking you in most places. Within three turns, your jacket had been ripped to shreds, minor cuts here and there.

"You killed all those monsters, didn't you?!" You had absolutely no idea what she was talking about, except for the pit of bodies. You quickly threw a dense fireball at a spear head, the spear changing trajectory at sinking into a tree trunk. This wasn't like that fight at your house. This was the real deal.

The battle began to get more intense, much worse than the time she dared you to fight her.

You stepped to the right, narrowly missing a spear that had pierced through the permafrost. If you wouldn't have moved, it would have tore apart your right leg. Everything began to move in such a fast manner that you didn't even have time to plead with her. You quickly dodged and weaved through her cloud of spears, the vast majority coming very close to taking off your head. You didn't want to use your beasts on her, but you really had no choice. You threw out your left arm, an army of minions at your disposal. They each gave a deep snarl at launched themselves into the battle.

"Just give up and die, you fiend!" Undyne screamed as she sent a large spear at you. You ducked but missed, the tip of the spear raking the right side of your head. A dense stream of blood trickled down your face, some of it getting into your eye. You shook your head, your right ear numb with hot pain. The spear had ripped it off.

You staggered forward as one of your minions had shielded you from another attack, a large spear becoming embedded in her ribs. With a thunderous shriek, it collapsed, Undyne clapping her hands over her ears. You surged forward in anger, two of you minions following your orders as they charged into her. The two of them had knocked her to the ground, Undyne sending three spears to meet her bodies.

While two had impaled your minions, the third had came hurtling towards your other ear, a couple inches past your throat. One of your minions in their dying spirit had sent a hot beam of fire to meet it, the spear bursting into pieces. You couldn't hear anything. As you struggled to find your footing, Undyne had jumped to her feet, her left arm in stitches. The thick armor had been melted, a thick pool of blood seeping into her suit. She was breathing heavily, as were you. With a low growl, you sent out another fleet, disappearing into the heavy waves of the blizzard.

You'd rushed to appear behind her, your paws crackling with electricity. They stung from the nicks and cuts, but you'd be fine. You fell on top of her, Undyne having to hold you away from her with only her right arm. You brought your left paw down on her shoulder, the sparks surging through her body. You took this chance to lower her health even more, one of your minions flinging her back like a ragdoll.

You were using your magic much too fast, your arms sore and your wounds still bleeding. You didn't notice it before, but during your tussle with Undyne, she had broken your wrist. Piercing pain came in heavy waves, you grunting to keep your wrist in place. But you didn't have any time for reassurance.

Undyne had suddenly rushed forward, not even sparing you an extra spear as she forced the head of a thick spear into your shoulder, you missing in time from her piercing your heart. You let out a hiss of pain, blood gushing down your arm. Your minion had threw her away again, their set of sharp teeth clamping down on their left arm again. You could almost hear a loud snap as Undyne had let out a caterwaul, another spear killing off one of your minions. You barely dodged her next attack as she came at you again, a large spear grasped in her fist. You could barely hear the group of spears that were coming from the back of you. Undyne had narrowly jumped out of the way, much to your befuddlement. You'd soon found out why.

The first one had missed their target, blindly grazing your calf. The second spear was right on target, embedding itself deep inside your right thigh. The sticky liquid seemed to burst forth, the spear having cut a major blood vessel. You collapsed in the snow, the churning powder becoming a dark crimson. The same color as your blood. The last two spears had easily cut through the permafrost beneath you, puncturing your left lung and ripping off a couple ribs with a loud crunch.

You could feel the surge of blood rushing up your throat, but you were at such an odd angle that you had begun to choke on your own blood. Undyne's last two spears had held you in a static position as you fought for air, thick streams of blood coursing down her shafts. You gasped and heaved for air, your HP at such a low level that you could hardly use any magic to melt the poles. Your minions had tried to cut you free, but they quickly faded away as you felt the last of your magic drain from you. You gave one last cough, the blood dripping down your chin as your body went limp.

As the darkness crawled ever closer, you felt the incinerating heat of your own magic and an ear-splitting caterwaul, your eyes glazing over. The last thing to emerge in your vision was of Undyne rushing towards you again. For a double-tap, or perhaps for something else..? You felt yourself slowly turn to dust, it mixing with the rest and blowing away with the whipping winds of Snowdin.

It was desolate in here, a sinister quiet making you shiver with apprehension. The darkness was back, and with it, came the endless void of death's domain. You felt the same sticky wetness of you blood, the metallic taste making you retch. The pain from your broken bones and pierced muscles were stabbing at you, but there was nothing you could do about it. Like the previous times, the same dazzling arch faded into existence, it's light golden and renewing. You laid upon the cold floor of the void, a dull static reaching your senses. It surrounded you, the feeling of warmth and comfort seeping into your fresh wounds. You felt your flayed skin re-seal itself, the bloody tears sealing shut and the blood running freely through your body. Your ears had bent upon themselves, a new framework repairing them so that you could hear again. You felt your broken ribs disintegrate, some new ones filling the empty void of your chest cavity and melting swiftly back into place. You felt your punctured lung seal shut, the breath that you'd lost before filling them instantly with cold fear. You felt your heart continuously stop and start, the healing process long and winding as the vessels resealed themselves. Your torn muscles,swollen and ragged, were now smooth and strong. You felt your cavities empty themselves of leftover blood, floating through your healing body and disappearing into the vast void.

As you felt yourself slowly recover, you felt small and insignificant. Not even allowed a say in your death, but killed with no mercy. What had you done to deserve this? Nothing, that's what.

The large arch around you had glowed with a new sinister light, the clock hands at their previous interval. When the short hand moved to six, you felt the pain of dying again, your legs keeping you steady as the same fear and pain made its way inside your body. Inside your SOULs.

The steady chime of the bell no longer hurt, as the sickly sweet melody that it played soothed you, wrapping around you like that of a loving hug. It banished the pain of life, your SOULs trembling with the aftershock. You felt safe here. You felt free from the pain of life. Free from any sorrows that might befall you. But you knew that you'd soon return to the land of the living. Fear rose in your SOULs again, the image of your gorey death filling your eyes and the sound of ripping flesh filling your ears. You wanted to stay here and listen to the sound of the bell as it got softer, and quieter, and to listen to the bell as it vanished.

The golden arch of light had started to fade, the number seven exploding in the sound of ripping flesh. You cringed. But you didn't wake up. Not yet. You didn't want to. Would she be waiting for you when you respawned? Would she kill you the same way that she had murdered you before? Would she stop and listen to you this time around? You felt the heavy dust of the monster bodies on your skin again. You felt dirty. Like you'd never be clean again... Grieving voices rang out in your head, the pleas of monsters, calling out for help. Any help whatsoever. There was none. The only thing that you had seen was a green and yellow sweater and the thick dust of the monsters falling into the abysmal pit.

And you could do nothing but cry. You didn't want to go back. You didn't want to suffer the same fate as them. You didn't want to live again. And your SOULs seemed to pulse in rhythm with your sobs, your clutch on them loosening more and more until you finally let go….

It sure had been a long day. The snow just seemed to keep falling, huh? Sue listened idly from his toasty blankets as the whirling snow built up on the window ledge, banging and pelting the glass pane in its fury. There had been little news that there would be a blizzard in the area. It just came so fast. Sue was used to the icy weather of Snowdin by now, but he preferred the muggy dampness of Waterfall. Hotland was much too hot for him to handle, as Alphys had found out much too quickly. The artificial lights in Snowdin were starting to malfunction, the area sometimes swamped in darkness for an hour or two. Not that the CORE was failing or anything.

Sans and Alphys had been gone for a full week. The two had been called in to help repair the electrical circuiting of the Underground. It had become damaged due to the movement of the tectonic plates. There was a huge fault line below the sea of Waterfall. Sans rarely stopped by, only coming back for something to snack on before he hit the road again. Sue slowly turned his head to the side, coming to face goat mom. Toriel was bundled in multiple blankets, fast asleep in her big chair. Frisk was asleep in their own room, dusk having fallen a long time ago. The bright fire in the background hissed and crackled with energy, scorching the logs that lay forlorn and forgotten in the fireplace. They would need to be kindled later.

Sue liked to stay awake past his bedtime. He loved to listen to the sounds of the night, often marveling at the little ditties of the crickets and the late night chirps of nesting crows. Even in the Underground, there was something special about the night.

Toriel had assigned him a bedtime shortly after he'd gotten used to living with the motherly goat. It was to make sure that he was ready to learn new things in the morning. She often taught him lots of important things, and to be honest, she was phenomenal at teaching. She would stop and explain every part, even explaining the smallest detail in great length. What Sue enjoyed learning the most was anything that resembled biology. Even though he couldn't see it, he could feel lots of things and hear them too just as well as anybody could.

Back on the surface, he was always interested in the brimming flora and fauna, keeping a journal on every type of species that he had come across. It was absolutely packed to the brim, the descriptions and smells documented for flora, and gender differences and moving habits for fauna.

It wasn't until the school teachers had caught him filling in some of the pages at school, that he had it taken from him, never receiving it back. Turns out, some other kid had claimed it as their own, crossing out Sue's name in permanent marker and writing their own name in it. The teachers had told them that they couldn't find it, and that he had to wait 'a little longer' to wait to get it back. He waited, and waited, and waited. He's _still_ waiting to this day.

Sue was wrapped up in his own fuzzy blankets, warm and yet sleepy, but still recollecting his memories on the previous events of today.

He'd met King Asgore, who Toriel refused to talk to at all. She tried to be civil to him, but failed utterly. There was definitely some romantic tension in there, for sure.

The king seemed like a really nice guy, kind-hearted and easygoing unlike most. He just couldn't believe that the guy had murdered six children in the past. But he'd only told that as Toriel was walking him to the boat back to Hotland. The carefree king had talked to him about many things, the longest being on the subject of buttercups. The flowers were 'deceivingly innocent' but they were extremely poisonous if ingested in a large amount. If only Sue still had his journal...

Papyrus had stopped by earlier, retrieving both Frisk and Sue for another search mission. The location this time was in Waterfall, the oceans strangely violent despite the slight drizzle. Sue insisted that they look across the seas, but Papyrus had stated that the water just led to a rocky wall, and that there was nothing beyond the water except more water. They'd returned back before dusk, Toriel having just made dinner. Frisk had insisted on playing in the snow before it got too dark, them winning today's snowball fight.

Undyne hadn't stopped by today, busy with scouting the perimeter of the Underground. The recent murders have been on everybody's mind, the monsters in the Ruins gone and now some monsters going missing from Snowdin.

There was a report about the bodies not decaying, and the victim stuck between being held together and collapsing into itself. Papyrus had considered moving to Hotland with his brother and Undyne insisted that Snowdin would be the next target of death. Who really knew nowadays? Sue could feel the heavy bags under his eyes droop even more. He quietly yawned and stood, shedding his blankets. Heading over to Toriel, he gently shook her awake.

"Mmf. Hmm? Oh? It's only you, child. What do you need?"

'It's time to go to bed, Toriel.' Sue signed.

"Oh? Tell you what. Help me secure the house and I'll read you a story."

'Ok.' He signed. Sue and Toriel set to work, the two locking the doors and windows, and putting out the fire in the hearth. Toriel had picked out '172 Uses For Snails', a good old fashioned classic, and had begun to lead Sue back to his own bedroom. As the two of them passed Frisk's room, Sue gazed in. They weren't asleep as he had originally thought, as they were drawing something at their desk.

"Frisk, my child? Would you like to come and read with us?" Frisk nodded and rose excitedly from their desk, coming to stand by Sue. Even though Sue was small, Frisk was smaller and only came to their shoulders. Frisk had laced their warm fingers with Sue, their others wrapped around a small doll. It looked like a lion plushie. Weird.

Frisk had fallen asleep in Sue's bed alongside him, shivering in discontent. Sue gave a small scowl and wrapped the blankets further around the small child. He didn't need the blankets, really. Toriel had finished reading a while ago, now sleeping peacefully in her own room. It was quiet. The snow had been beating down on the windows for hours now, the sounds becoming louder and more vicious.

Despite everything, he liked it here. He liked living with Toriel and Frisk... But he still missed his best friend….


	20. Back In The Snow

Twice

You respawned again, the bright light of Snowdin gone. Night had fallen and with the night came the bitter cold. You were still crying, your tears crusted on your cheeks. You didn't want to be here. Not anymore, at least. You wanted to leave life behind, to stop re-spawning, and to stop dying over and over and over again. You were frozen and hopelessly lost, wearily laying out in the snow of all places. The blizzard from earlier still raged on, the fronds of snow lodging themselves in your sweater. The bitter cold of Snowdin was stronger than your will, the numbing chill of frostbite clamping down on your paws. You could move your body just a little, the pain from your earlier death still fresh in your mind. The rushing winds of Snowdin were loud and vicious, and for the first time, your fire magic could do nothing to prevent the cold from seeping into you. You had used it all during your fight with Undyne.

You hid in the long shadows, extremely paranoid that Undyne was listening. She knew exactly what you were capable of, and she knew that you could respawn anywhere. Hell. She had probably let the entire royal guard know that you were killing monsters. And whose word would they take seriously? Undyne's, their captain, or you, a fabled murderer?

You kept on, the thick snow crunching loudly underneath your paws. Your legs had begun to wobble, your claws catching on a vine of bramble. You fell forward, the thorns catching in your paws. You gave a quiet hiss and scrambled to pull them out, licking at your wounds until they stopped bleeding. The snow would numb them for now.

As you continued through the forest, you stumbled more, stubbing your paws on tree roots. You winced harshly, deciding to take the upward branches instead. You slowly clawed your way up the thick pine tree, stepping from branch to branch as quietly as possible. You had gotten some sap in your fur on the way.

The dust was gone, but you still felt it on all your clothes and on your skin. You felt something, as if there were sins that were crawling up your back... But you hadn't done anything wrong. You just wanted to get back home. But was that place even safe anymore? You wished that things would go back to the way they used to be. Everything felt so different. Snowdin didn't feel remotely like home anymore, not that it ever did but still... The looming shadows seemed to follow you, their dancing shapes chasing you all the way to the edge of the woods.

There it was. Your old house, standing tall amongst the darkness. A long row of hanging icicles had formed on your roof, the windows and doors literally blocked with snow. It had to be freezing in there. You had stashed your house keys in your backpack at the time, but they were gone now. What were you gonna do now? Simple. Break in. It's YOUR house after all.

You scaled the rocky house easily, your long claws digging into the wood panels of the house. You lifted yourself over the edge of the icy roof, the ground looming far beneath you. Crack! The roof which had been submitted to freezing cold temperatures for a year had suddenly given way, you tumbling into the lounge room.

"WOOOOOEEEP! WOOOOOEEEP!" Shit. You had forgotten that you had installed alarms in your house. Covering your ears with your sore paws, you dashed towards your room, kicking the wooden door down with your right leg. It snapped off of its hinges and crashed against the carpeted ground.

"WOOOOOEEEP! WOOOOOEEEP!" You dragged yourself towards your closet, opening it up and pushing your old hoodies aside to spot the candy red box that sat on the wall. With a groan, you cracked open the box with your claws and punched in the code to the alarm system.

"WOooooooooop-" The blaring alarms had cut off, your ears still ringing as you closed the glass lid and placed your hoodies back in front of it. It seemed like a good purchase at the time, but now, it only served as another hindrance. You looked over your shoulder, padding slowly into the hall again.

The standby dust that had been building up for a year, swirled and danced wildly in the air, landing here and there all over the dusty floor. With remembrance, you dusted yourself off, coming to look at your old house.

Your home didn't even feel like home anymore. You dizzily made your way back to your room, unlocking the bathroom to the side of the room, the dust in there moving at the sudden disturbance. You hadn't been here in a year and a half.

You stumbled back into your bedroom, making a beeline for the bed. You collapsed in your bed, the plush and dusty upholstery meeting you as it flew up your nose. You tried and failed to stifle your sniffle as you sneezed, your nose raw from the chilling snow. You didn't close the door, nor did you do anything but lay on your bed. You could feel the hot tears falling down your cheeks.

You still had the tablet with you, long forgotten by the commotion from earlier, which was now poking you in the stomach. You quietly pulled it out, the soul fragment encased, glowing gently at your attention.

The same pull of your SOULs became known again, you grumbling quietly in protest. You hadn't rested in such a long time. You could stand to sleep for a few hours. And it was the longest time that you had ever slept. You listened to your own shallow breathing, sighing with emptiness and loneliness. You watched as a weak ray of sunlight filtered into the hall, the daytime of Snowdin just starting. You looked at the tablet at your side for the second time. It seemed to glow with annoyance as you fell asleep, your soft snuffles filling the room.

It didn't take a long time, the endless black void coming into view. This was one of the dreams that kept coming back to you, the darkness long and endless to you. And there stood the same monster as last time. Only one eye seemed to glow an orangish color. The other appeared to be tired, his black eye drooping. He swept closer to you, his shapeless body less slimy than last time.

"So you found the first piece, then?" The monster whispered.

"Yeah." Your voice broke at the end, hoarse with recovery. He seemed to know what was wrong and came to gently cup your cheeks, embracing you in what could only be called a hug. It enveloped you like last time, the feeling similar to the warmth of a fire. You rarely let anybody hug you without consent, this hug similar to hugging a pillow.

"The next piece should be somewhere around Waterfall, right?" You asked. You felt him give a brief nod before pulling away to look at you. You were still involuntarily crying like you have been for hours. The void seemed to be the only place where you weren't in danger, always welcoming and calm, taking your troubles away and replacing them with love. Not that kind of love.

"Follow the pull of your SOULs. I'll be keeping watch over you but that's all. I can't stop the inevitable from happening. Take care."

"Will do." You smiled faintly at the man, feeling the darkness take you over for now. The darkness was a friend. You followed them back towards the waking world, the hazy scent of vanilla and citrus bringing you back to reality.

You slowly rose from your warm bed, the bones in your body cracking back into place with some discomfort. It was very dark outside, the silhouettes of the pine trees barely visible. You stretched and padded over to the closet, taking out some fresh clothes and stowing your tablet on the first shelf. Each hoodie had a collection of dust on them, the strings messy and tangled. You ran each of them under water, fluffing them out with what little magic you had, releasing the dust on them.

It had been awhile since you had last showered, not that you were dirty or anything. You felt the fresh wounds from your fight earlier sting under the hot water as you tested the temperature. You missed the heat of a home. It was soothing.

With a loving sigh, you stepped into the shower, the water instantly drowning your fur. The dust that had accumulated on your body had washed off, the specks floating lazily down into the drain. But no matter how hard you scrubbed, you still felt dirty. And when you stepped out, your skin was raw, and your muzzle was sensitive to the touch.

You toweled off and put on your fresh clothes, the smell of cinnamon and vanilla heavy in the hot air. You stepped sleepily out of the bathroom, looking over to the lounge as you left your room. The icy roof still lay in shambles. A thick pile of snow had melted on the floor, a large puddle forming quietly

You ignored it and tiptoed down the carpeted stairs, leaving the lights off as you went. The darkness was a friend. And besides. If you turned on your lights, you'd attract people.

You stopped at the opening of the living room, eyeing a huge hill of stamped letters at your door. It was only then that you saw the large box sitting on the outside of your door. You shrugged and padded into the kitchen. You didn't feel like reading them right now.

You went into the kitchen, getting a small porcelain bowl from the cabinet. You poured yourself some cereal which surprisingly didn't have any bugs in it. The milk had gone so incredibly sour that it had turned into a brick. You threw it into the trash can, throwing out the sour cream, the butter, and the cheese. You opted to just have some crackers instead, as they were the only thing in your house that didn't go bad in your absence. As you took the box of dry crackers, you gazed to the fridge in cold fury. You had a shit ton of orange juice hidden throughout the house. IT HAD ALL EXPIRED. As you wept, you mourned for your wasted orange juice.

The crackers were bland and left your mouth dry with lack of liquid. You were thirsty. So thirsty, that you opted for tap water. You ran to the kitchen and grabbed a plastic cup. After carefully checking it for watermarks, you washed out the dish and filled it with the tap water. The taste was disgustingly metallic. Eugh. You let the water swim around your mouth before spitting it out into the sink. Gross.

It was quiet. A dull static had begun to ring in your sore ears, the tips twitching with effort. Once all of the crackers were gone and the wrappers were thrown away, you did something that you shouldn't have done: you burned the letters. Each of them, including the giant box of mail outside your door. The majority of it was junk mail, you not even noticing the letters from Undyne as you threw them into the kindled hearth. They burned into ashes, the chalky smoke rising out of the chimney. Tendrils of scarlet and golden flames licked the edge of the furnace, your frame illuminated as you warmed your paws.

Water dripped down the sides of the brick structure, a sure sign of ice build up. You went back up the stairs, using the bar of the lounge to jump onto the roof. You crawled over to the opening of the furnace, surprised at just how much ice was built up in there. Unsheathing your claws, you beat at the ice, feeling it break and shatter underneath your paws. With a final push, the ice broke into shards and fell back into the chimney, a loud hiss following. You let yourself fall back into your house, slowly making your way back downstairs. As you went, you felt a sharp tug at your SOUL. Welp. It was time to go.

You retrieved your stone tablet from upstairs, the golden key swinging silently on its silver chain. The soul fragment inside glowed with anticipation and pulsed rapidly. You stuck the large tablet in your empty pocket, setting off down the stairs again. You put out the fire with a bucket of water, the steam and smoke curling up towards the opening in the chimney.

You unlocked the giant mahogany door, the icy winds cutting into your face. It was still snowing outside, the wind slightly tamer than earlier. You shut the door behind you, the darkness following you on your way out. The darkness was a friend.

You made your way slowly up the rocky path, your SOULs pulling you towards the path to Waterfall. Sure, you could scale the cliff, but… you were too tired right now. As a matter of fact, both your HP and your MP were running dangerously low. You were lucky enough to be walking.

You kept through the dark woods. And then you felt it. Eyes boring into the back of your neck with anger and hatred. You turned hastily on your heel to look behind you, but there was nothing there except for the trees and the undergrowth. Your right ear twitched again, a dull pain reappearing. Another twitch of your left. You involuntarily stepped to your left as a large bone went sailing past your right cheek. What would've went through your neck if you hadn't moved in time. A loud footstep sounded from the underbrush, stepping out into the open. Seeing as how you were extremely vulnerable at the moment, you went flying into the undergrowth, your attacker following closely. You could hear their labored breaths as you turned a sharp corner, your paws slipping on a frozen stream.

As you fell, you hooked your claws into a nearby tree, it acting as an anchor to hoist you to your feet. Everything suddenly ached, and the pain from earlier came back in its prime. You tensed as your attacker had exploded from the undergrowth, a low growl reverberating around the clearing.

You felt your SOULs being ripped from your chest, you flailing and trying to push them back in. Not a chance. An intense wave of pain stabbed through your legs, you letting out a hoarse grunt as your claws had slipped from the tree.

You felt distinctly heavier, a navy blue glow emanating from your SOULs. You could barely stand up, a stinging pain preventing you from moving again. You could barely feel any pain when two sharp bones shot forward from the snow, one grazing your hip while the other had embedded itself firmly into your stomach. Fuck. You felt the acid slowly leaking out, your paws giving out on you as you fell into the snow. You blinked lazily, a huge stain of blood dripping from your sweater and onto the snow. You watched as your attacker had ambled into the clearing….Sans...?

The lights in his sockets were gone, one replaced by a cyan and yellow flashing iris. Him too? But you didn't have any dust on you. What- Undyne. You let a weak look of hurt and betrayal flash before you completely collapsed, your muzzle somewhat buried in the snow. Your body had begun to go numb, the acid beginning its genocide run of your insides.

"Wait…. just… give me this..." The acid from your stomach was now leaking into your chest cavity, not quite reaching your heart but starting on your other organs. Blood had begun to seep up your throat, your breaths becoming labored.

"why should i, you genocidal maniac."

"Geno… cidal? What are- *cough* -what are you... talking... about…?" You remembered the series of memories in the void, the one of the dying monsters and the brightly colored striped sweater.

"don't pretend that you don't know." As your eyes became unfocused, you could just make out Sans's silhouette. He stood before you, a lab coat of sorts whipping in the winds. You chuckled weakly at his attire, your dull amber eyes shutting.

"The striped sweater... *choke* " Speaking was getting harder. The acid was moving towards your upper chest, your lungs fighting to stay out of its range. That was where all of the important organs were.

"chara?" Sans's voice had dropped a couple of octaves. He stood closer to you now, his footfalls becoming louder.

"...the k-knife…" You recalled the sound of swinging metal. How the dust gleamed on it, so intensely. The cries of the monsters as the knife had cut through them, her blood and dust spilling onto the floor of the Ruins.

"w-wait! h-hold on, kid!" Strong hands began to grip at your limp arms, your final breath parting your lips. You didn't want to hold on anymore. First, it was Undyne, and now this. You could feel the strong acid eating away at your heart, just barely starting on your lungs. And as you died once more, you could hear just barely hear Sans say something in the background.

"fuck. we fucked up, big time." You felt yourself turn to dust, and the world swam in black again...

The storms hit hard in Ebott City, blackouts being the norm around these poverty-stricken parts. With a swing and a push of his strong forearms, Oliver had lost the goons back in the dust. He was fast and nimble on his feet, the sidewalk flying out from beneath him. The beating rain had drenched the ground, the squelching of his boots loud on the concrete. Speeding cars honked at him as he skimmed across the street, his lanky black hair flying out from behind him.

Oliver was just a kid, but a thief at that, only stealing what he needed to survive in this tough world. His parents had left him out in the cold streets of the city by himself, an odd couple of years ago. They never wanted him in the first place, and he was just a nuisance on their pocket book. He wasn't even their kid, but rather somebody else's who wanted to 'pass the buck.'

He was only ten at the time, just a growing frond in a bed of overflowing brambles. He never paid attention to the mandatory things in school, but in P.E., he lorded over all of the children, beating them in every sport and every competition like a champion. He liked to be loud and loved attention, as it made up for his lack of affection at home. He was never afraid to back down from a fisticuff, but when him stealing from a simple convenience store had put him in gunpoint, he kicked the guy's shins and ran. He knew how to pick his battles.

He had nowhere to hide, as he was notorious for stealing, and every alley had been filtered through for him. There was one place that he could go to escape: Mt. Ebott. The mountain was infamous for numerous reports of missing people. Meh. It was just a dumb mountain. He could easily handle it…

The mountain wasn't so hard to climb as he'd thought, the evening sun illuminating the mountain trail just barely through the clouds. The cave at the top was perfect but he wasn't sure how far it went back. And then there was that giant hole in the back. And just as the others had went, a heavy force slammed into the back of him, and down the hole he went...


	21. Mistakes Of A Fucked Up Calibre

What Were You Expecting?

Once again, the desolate void came into being, the still static ringing in your ears. The same golden arch of light, which you refuse to look at, had begun its normal duty as always. The short clock hand moved to the number five, the number six seeming to dissolve into a thick golden goop. It seemed that the numbers displayed the way you died. Absolutely beautiful. The arch just constantly reminded you of how close you were to your final death. You'd already lost four, and you had just lost two in a row!

What had happened in Snowdin? Were the others like this? You didn't think Sans would lash out like that. You didn't think that Undyne would either. What was happening to your friends? You couldn't really call them friends anymore, as friends don't murder their friends in cold blood. Half of your mind scolded you for not thinking about all of the dust that you had on you, but the other had a mindset that recounted back to when you washed it all off. But monster dust was like glitter...

As you thought about your current situation, the eerie melody from the bell played like normal, the slow music resetting your HP bar to its maximum and mending the melted parts of your body. As you laid on the ground, you could feel your stomach acid retreat back to the punctured cavity, your organs stretching and heaving with creating new cells. You fought desperately to feed the bile from coming up, failing as you turned your head and retched. You could feel a multitude of solid things spewing forth, almost retching again when you smelled blood and the faint smell of acid. You turned your head away from the digested organs, squirming with nausea as your new ones had affixed themselves back into place. This was much worse than having broken bones.

It wasn't that Sans had broke anything in your body. He had more so turned your chest into a bloody soup of acid, blood, and the punctured version of your organs. That was, by far, the worst death that you've had. You distinctly heard the bell fade away and like normal, you prepared yourself to live again. After a long while of waiting, you felt a faint wind bat at your ears. You could just barely feel the snow, your entire body numb of all feeling. Thank god that you'd had the sense to dress warmly. Or, maybe you weren't in the snow at all…?

You had respawned in the dust of an abandoned home, the scuffed birch floors making you open your eyes. You laid in the hall of a dark house, a faint ray of light filtering in through some dusty drapes. The beige walls were resigned to something that resembled an empty house, the home silent and desolate. You staggered to your paws, your hip aching with pressure. You looked to be in Toriel's house, the house empty of all possessions. Every door was wide open except for the third one. You had half a mind to kick down the door but you refrained from doing so.

With a muffled grunt, you placed your paws against the dusty walls to balance yourself, the wood floors creaking under your weight. You needed help. You made your way to the parlor of the house, looking at the cellar stairs in dismay. If you went down there, somebody could be waiting for you on the other side of the door.

"Uh. Excuse me..?" A small pressure had materialized on the tip of your tail, the fur frizzing out with fear. You whipped your head around, coming to face a child that was an inch or so taller than you. He eyed you in fear and skepticism, and you couldn't help flaring up at the small human.

"Yes? Is there someone who you're looking for?" You growled out, your claws slowly sliding out of their sheathes. The kid had let your tail go, peering down at you with his dark gray eyes.

"Where am I?"

"You're in the Underground, bud. If you're looking for everyone, you might want to try going down the cellar steps. They'll take you to Snowdin."

"Snowdin?" The child quipped, his straight black hair swinging around as he followed you, a questioning look in his eyes. You turned to face him, your face fixed in a scowl.

"As you can GUESS, Snowdin is covered in snow. It cold, it snows, and there are monsters everywhere. Nice monsters, I guess. Bundle up or you'll freeze to death." You turned towards the dining room, the kid following you.

"Oh. I'm Oliver, by the way! But… If all of the monsters are in Snowdin, then why are you all alone in here? I've been in this place for hours and I haven't seen no monsters!" You stumbled into the dining room, hobbling over to the fireplace to light it. The embers were cold. You'd have to fetch some firewood. The tree in the front yard would have to do.

"I-I'm Lion. Just Lion. There's been something strange going on in the Ruins, this place, and they all evacuated there a long time ago…" You set to work, hobbling back into the parlor and over to the withering tree in the front. The blood red petals swirled around your paws as you went to work, cutting down the branches and bunching them together.

"So WHY did they leave? I sure wouldn't leave this place. It looks cozy. Lonely, but cozy." Oliver absentmindedly picked up the second bundle of branches, you taking the other, and the two of you walking back into the house.

"From what I've heard, there's been a mass genocide in this part of the Underground. But what do I know?" You grumbled as you kicked the door closed behind you.

"They thought it was me, and look where I am now. I can't even step outside of a house without fearing that I'll be javelined in the chest." You angrily stuffed the firewood into the furnace, sparking what little magic that you had into kindling the wood. The flames swirled and danced with a scarlet glow, the light illuminating your golden eyes. You scoffed and went to sit near the fire, Oliver sitting across from you.

"Was it you, though?"

"NO! I had gone on a year long journey to find something, but during the last leg, I fell into this giant pit of monster dust. The stuff is like glitter glue. I walked out into Snowdin thinking that I could make it home, and low and behold, I get chased down by the head of the royal guard and her sentry! I only caught their words as I died and-"

"Hold up. You died?!" You smugly turned towards him, a smirk playing on your muzzle.

"Yeah. I've died a total of four times during my entire escapade down here. You know, I was once in your position, falling into a place that I didn't know. Some of the monsters were nice, and some…. not so much. It just- it befuddles me on how my friends were the ones to kill me for the last two. Some friends, huh?" You said nothing more as you stared into the flames, Oliver muttering something under his breath before speaking to you.

"So… this isn't your house?"

"No. This house belonged to Toriel, one of my friends. I think she moved to Snowdin too. It was a shame that she wasn't here to greet you. Perhaps when you get to Snowdin, you'll see her. She's a tall goat monster and she's really sweet. "

"How did you die anyway? And what's death like?" You eyed him with slight disappointment, as everybody had asked you this, wherever you went.

"My first death included falling from a bridge into an abyss and hitting the bottom of the gorge. My second death included getting mauled to death by some cat-dog monsters. My third death was bleeding to death, and my fourth death was being digested by my own stomach acid. Wanna step in my shoes?"

"NO THANK YOU. You can keep your bad luck. You said that in order to leave, that I had to go down into the cellar?"

"Yep! At least, that's what I think! It could've been destroyed in the year that I was gone. Go down the steps and into the corridor, and you should come to a bend and a courtyard. You should go through the double sets of double doors, and you'll be in Snowdin! Doesn't take THAT long! Other than that, it's getting dark, and Snowdin nights are bitter and frosty. Stay here if you want but I should be on my way-"

"Wait! If you're leaving the Ruins, could you take me with you? I don't want to stay in this dark place. Gives me the willies. That is, if you don't mind..?" You got to your paws, stretching and sighing in relief as your aching hips had adjusted themselves. You busily put out the fire, Oliver bouncing on the heels of his boots.

"Sure. Why not? I'll take you to the gates of Snowdin, and perhaps farther. Possibly to the brother's house if I'm feeling up to it. But after we get there, I'm outtie. I got things to do, and they'd kill me if they found out that I've stalled a human for as much time as I have." Oliver had eyed you with a cold fear.

"W-what d-do you mean b-by that?" You helped him to his feet, taking off your dark blue hoodie and placing it over his head.

"Wear that. It'll help you with the cold. What I meant was that humans are extremely sparse down here. If you haven't noticed, we're all trapped down here, and with the help of seven human SOULs, we can go free and see the sun again. We could go free. It's not like we're gonna kill you or anything. We just need your cooperation. Can you abide by that? If you do, I'll take you with me. If not, then you're on your own. The others will find you and erase your memory of this place. I'll then take you back up to the surface." You began your slow trek to the stairs, Oliver following closely. Your hoodie fit him just right.

"I thought you said that all monsters were trapped down here." The two of you had made it into the corridor, you igniting the tiny sparks of your fire magic to illuminate the halls.

"Yeah. But if you didn't catch it, I was in your position once. I came from the surface, and now I'm down here."

"You came from the surface?!"

"I'm was no Bigfoot, but I was certainly an attraction to the forests of Ebott City. I like it down here much more than the surface. I'm not hunted down constantly and I can walk in the open like a civilized person. Trust me when I say that everything will be alright."

"Why should I?"

"When I came down here, everybody thought that I was a human, and I was caught in a great human hunt. Turns out that I was walking with my pursuers the entire time. When I finally told them to stop her hunt, they just laughed it off and accepted that there was no human. Besides. There's another human down here who's waiting for the likes of you to hurry up and get there. So what do you say? Do you agree, or do you disagree?" He stared at your outstretched paw for some time before nodding his head.

"I guess that I'll have to trust you."

"Good, because I hate having to go back up to the surface. Now let us make haste, as it's still the afternoon. I died somewhere near the morning, so you should be fine."

"You mean they're still out there, looking for you?" You had halted, the first set of double doors looming over you.

"Kid, as long as you're not coated with dust, you'll be fine. Don't make them angry. Especially the fish monster."

"The fish monster?"

"You'll see…" You forced open the doors, Oliver helping with the second set as you emerged into the grassy courtyard. The two of you had walked past it, pushing open the second set of doors to Snowdin.

"HOLY COW, IT'S COLD!" Oliver had instinctively pressed himself into you, your thick fur acting as a mobile heater. You shrugged it off and continued, Oliver keeping close to you. While you were clad in a white t-shirt and some shorts, you could be on lesser terms. The artificial lights of Snowdin swirled and swam before your eyes, your sharp ears picking up on a conversation some few meters away.

"DO YOU THINK THAT A HUMAN WILL COME TODAY?"

"naw bro." You instantly recognized that voice.

"Oi. Oliver."

"Hmm?" He'd turned to face you, the hood of your hoodie pulled tight around his neck. He was slightly shivering.

"I know that you can't hear it, but there's somebody up ahead. They're friendly. I can recognize her voice so I know it's them. The skeleton brothers, I mean. They'll take you to Toriel. Just go on ahead, but watch for the bridge. It's shallow, but it could break a bone or two. Make some noise so that they'll hear you."

"Are you sure?" His grip on you had tightened, the hoodie becoming loose around his frame.

"Yeah. They won't hurt you. Trust me. I can't go with you, so we'll have to split for now. Here's to the best of luck that you befriend them. Cheers!" With that you gave a childish screech and threw yourself into the thick foliage of the forest. Oh shit. You quickly popped your head back out, motioning to the scared Oliver with a frantic paw.

"If they ask you where you got that sweater, say that it was from some hobo named Groot. I'm outtie! Good luck!" You gave a louder catcall this time and literally cartwheeled into the forest, the loud sounds of crunching snow following. You walked quickly through the snow, a small yelp sounding from behind you. You stopped to listen to a passing conversation.

"WHEN WE GET THERE, I'LL TREAT YOU TO SOME OF MY FINEST SPAGHETTI!"

"T-that sounds nice."

"hey kid. where'd you get that sweater?"

"OH? THAT LOOKS A LOT LIKE ONE OF LION'S SWEATERS! GASP! DID YOU PERHAPS CATCH SIGHT OF THEM DURING YOUR TRAVELS?!"

"Oh! Um. Yeah, I did. They actually told me to go with you guys when we got here."

"LOUDER GASP! DO YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE?"

"She said something about not being able to talk to any of you with fearing that she'd be stabbed or something. She ran off a couple of seconds before you guys had caught up with me. Were you going to hurt her if she stayed..?" You didn't catch anymore, as you had caught your paw on a rabbit hole.

You had woken up from a long nap, wearily stretching out your arms as you opened your eyes. After you had escorted Oliver to the skeleton brothers, you had made like a tree and **leafed.** Sigh. You had taken shelter in the pit of a tree, the dense roots and the fresh snow acting as a barrier to kept from being found. It looked to be dawn outside. With a small yawn, you crawled out of your pit, stepping out and into the blizzard of Snowdin. You wondered if Oliver was alright. He SHOULD be. It was time to get down to business.

It wasn't far to the Waterfall cavern, but you couldn't chance it. You broke out into a sprint, your paws crunching in the snow as you barreled through the forests. You ran around the long perimeter of Snowdin, purposely missing the skeleton brother's house as you winded around the side. The long path to Waterfall had begun.

Well, apparently life has its cons. You really should have learned to be more quiet in a dangerous situation.

You slowed down, the waters of Waterfall, choppy and angry as you flew past a sentry station. You could see the crystals on the ceiling and you could hear the wild buzzes of the echo flowers. The one thing that you didn't hear was the rapidly approaching footsteps. It was peaceful, and then there was hot pain. You could only guess that the bright red trident that had impaled you had been purposely aimed there. Right in the lung that had just been repaired. Wow.

Your attacker slid out the long trident, your limp body falling to the ground, lifelessly. With final splutter, your eyesight had faded away. Back to the void it seems.

The golden arch was already out and moving by the time you had got there, the short hand moving to the number four, and the number five being impaled by a mini trident. You weren't getting sick of death, but life was starting to become a major pain in the ass. You let the void do its thing, as you've been through this song and dance five times now. At this rate, you'd be joining your parents in a couple of days.

Once again, you woke up, your body resting on a small peninsula of glowing grass. Calm teal waters surrounded it, a sparse clump of echo flowers nearby. They were about to say something as you turned your head away. You felt nauseous. What you didn't hear was the sounds of another rapidly passing conversation. But by the time it had begun to play, you'd melded into the walls. You couldn't lose another life, or at least, not so soon after the other. It was really starting to affect you in a bad way. Your magic was becoming weaker and weaker by the hour. You felt the familiar pull on your SOULs as you padded past a long hallway. Oh. Right, the tablet. Was it still there?

You reached into the pocket of your shorts, your paws closing around the large rock. How the hell did it even get in there? You were sure that you had put it in the pocket of your hoodie… And for the second time, you journeyed out again, this time with no additional cargo. It was just you and the tablet on a journey to find the second piece of the SOUL fragment. Hopefully, you wouldn't die again.

They had fucked up. They fucked up _**BIG**_ time. All of them had. The poor kid had died three times in a row. Because of _**her**_ mistake. Undyne sat against the wall of her house, her head in her hands and a bloody spear lying beside her.

She didn't even check their stats! She just offed and killed them. Killed Lion. Undyne had fucked up. She'd thought that, what, with all that dust you had on your body that you had been the culprit behind the mass monster genocide in the Ruins. You tried to tell her but she didn't even bother to listen! What kind of friend was she? And now you were gone. She knew that you had respawned, only to be impaled by Sans, only to respawn and get impaled again by Asgore. Jesus fucking christ!

Undyne was in some deep shit. Almost everybody in the group had heard about her fuck up, Alphys being the only one to console her. Her LV went up. Her EXP did, too. All because she had neglected to hear you out. She had dishonored the one thing that she thought was right: justice. And now she was the bad guy.

So was Sans. He had to watch as his friend, from a whole year of being gone, had died right in front of him. And he had caused it. He fucked up, just like Undyne did, and just like Asgore had. He'd been late at calling Asgore to warn him about Undyne's mistake. It was too late. The dust that Asgore had on his cloak when he had arrived had been a tell-tale sign.

It's not like they could apologize, as they always respawned somewhere different every time. Asgore was quiet the entire time, and when the time came, he left without a word. Strangely, Toriel left with him. The entire group knew now. And his LV had rose. So did his EXP and his HP. There was nothing that could console them.

The poor kid was probably scared to death, and no apology would fill the guilt that they had created for themselves. No amount of forgiveness would fill the guilt either.

Toriel was lost between grieving and depressed. The new child, Oliver, had been brought to them by Lion themselves. He had already knew the situation because Lion had told him. HI addition was a happy one, but despite how hard they all tried, Toriel knew. The death of the catacombs had been a reality shock, the curtains of ignorance and the tendency to shield herself with her children had failed. She grieved over the recent death of Lion, who deserved nothing but mercy for their misunderstandings. They had been killed many times, the majority coming from them. What life was she on as of the moment? Toriel didn't know. The three children had begun to pack their things, Frisk attempting to introduce Sue to Oliver. The house looked empty, and Toriel did not know if she could handle the pressure for much longer.

Frisk was less talkative than usual, holding themselves up in their room for long bouts of time. Toriel had told them that they were moving to Waterfall due to recent events. Snowdin was too dangerous, and the dust in the air had proved her claim.

As Frisk packed her things, they had came to a plush of theirs, a doll in the shape of a lion. In fact, THE Lion had made this for them on their birthday. It didn't hold the faint vanilla and citrus scent that it used to. They hugged the doll tight, small tears rolling down their cheeks. Sans had told them that Chara was back, the demon spawn, using Lion's own body as a host. It didn't sound right... Frisk had finished packing up their stuff, casting a sad look at the room they had once lived in. The felt something…

The two other children were fine. Oliver had been introduced to the deeper system of the situation, and had taken to the group with ease. They now had three pure SOULS: one of PATIENCE, one of BRAVERY, and one of DETERMINATION. Oliver was insistent on keeping the group's hopes up, and that things would be okay in the end. The kid tried relentlessly to bring a smile to the other's faces.

For the longest time, nobody knew where Papyrus went, Sans out in the elements to find his younger brother. Where they found him wasn't the bestest place. They'd found Papyrus at the old house of Lion's. It looked to have been recently lived in, the buildup of ice disappearing. The huge mound of letters that had once laid against the door was gone, the faint smell of charred paper hanging in the air. Papyrus just sort of stood there in front of the great mahogany door, as if waiting for somebody to open the door and greet him. For Lion to open the door and greet him. He even had a plate of spaghetti ready.

It had been a long year since he had last seen you. After the significant incident with Asgore, you had went missing again,obviously covering up your tracks so that the group wouldn't find you. They had never stopped looking for you, not even for a second. Nobody knew where you were, or how you were doing. There were no chats through the grapevine anymore. The electricians had cut the power off the Snowdin, conserving the little energy in the underground. It was all happening so fast.

Alphys and Sans were quickly running out of hope. With recent studies, the lava in Hotland had been cooling. In about a couple years, it'll become solid. Oh dear god. With all of the new residents in Waterfall, the plumbers and electricians had to do a lot of rewiring to manage the heavy demands. The cavern of Snowdin was immersed into total darkness, upon which would last forever. The skeleton brothers had moved to Hotland and Toriel had moved to the end of Waterfall. Alphys had stayed with Undyne. Things were getting worse and worse, and more hope was being lost by the days...


	22. Moving Through The Water

A Letter From Home

It was a whole lot noisier in the icy depths of Waterfall. The walls of the cavern were slick with icy cold water, beads of water slowly sliding down the lengths of the cavern. But out here, amongst the land of lilies and crystal geodes, there was no sound to be heard. The teal waters were as clear as could be, a small school of tiny trout-like fish swimming gracefully through the undertow. Some leaped out suddenly, their slick shiny fins skimming elegantly over the water like flawless wings. The rivers up on the surface were nothing like these.

The cavern ceilings were much solid in height, the pointed rocks threatening to fall. Tendrils of crystals and dock grew along the base of the ceiling, a few choice wildflowers growing here and there. Carved archways and marble balconies lined the far interior of the room, imposing cyan waterfalls cascading swiftly down the rocky walls. The salmon cherry blossoms that floated silently on the calm surface gave off the sweet scent of cherry and a strong tang of daffodil. Huge red and green crystals jutted out from the lake's bottom, each, a multi-colored geode giving off different lights. Wild beds of coral and algae grew around them, a spare mutated catfish nestling in its large crack.

The crystals and the bottom of the lake broke the still surface, an item in each of them. Only three of the magnificent crystal glowed amongst the seven: purple, gray, and blue. Each beam of light illuminated the slick walls of the cavern, reflecting wildly off of the quiet waters of the vast lake.

It looked like a deep chasm from where you sat, a large wad of dock and holly resting snugly underneath your tongue. You had sustained few injuries getting here, the need for certain herbs becoming inevitable. You were currently perched higher up in the foot of the caverns, your tail hanging off the side of one of the marble balconies. You gazed over the surface of the misted waters, idly flicking water across the cavern lake with your tail. Your ears were drawn to their sides, the plip of falling water droplets much like a heavenly strum on a harp. There was barely any noise here. There was no death here too. Only peace.

As you had figured out, the place that you were in had once been a polis of sorts, the carved marble and crystal pillars signaling that some sort of civilization had lived here. Strange symbols had been boldly etched into the stone walls of the pillars, a few of them recognizable. Apart from the city structures, you had found many rotting corpses and skeletons lying around. The majority of them wore dark blue robes and tunics, her bones hidden by the silky garb. What truly disturbed you the most was that all of the skeletons displayed two things: they were holding hands with the corpse next to them, and that they resembled something of canines. Their skulls were elongated, her teeth sharp and fearsome; much like a carnivore's. You hadn't much to say on the matter, seeing as how the spirits of the dead danced around the main streets happily. What were they celebrating? A party?

You watched glumly as five of the corpse children danced around the main plaza of the town, the many other spirits watching with muffled expressions. The main plaza was decorated with a huge skull, the features nothing short of demonic. When you had stumbled upon this place, the spirits hardly seemed to notice you, letting you blend in with the crowd. If anything, you sort of looked like her flesh counterpart. The spirits even had long sweeping rows of tail bones sailing from underneath their cloaks. Who were they, and what had happened down here to kill them all?

You diverted your attention and watched as the shiny foam of the waterfalls danced on the still water's surface, joined by the stray cherry blossoms and buttercups that had been carried here by the current. This old cavern was underneath the main region of Waterfall, the oceans from above pouring into this place. There were many different canals and vents for the excess water to go. These people must've been intelligent: however, the history of this place escaped you at the moment.

You were only delaying the inevitable. You gazed at the faraway door of the caverns, her inky black depths taunting you. The archways each led to a different room, the rarest and most difficult of the puzzles forcing you to give up and making you come back to it later. It just happened to be one of those times where you had stumbled.

The cavern on the far side was nothing like the maze that was underneath Snowdin. The inky black cavern held hostile monsters, holograms, puzzles, traps, and redundant tools to 'help' you as you traversed the land. Your stats had increased for each monster you had flayed in there, their habits so vicious and cruel that you had had no choice but to kill them. After all, you did have the tremendous strength of a boss monster. And if you had no choice, you could always just draw power from your inactive human soul.

You scratched blatantly at the nook of your ear, the current puzzle from hours ago stumping you at its best. In that room, there was a set of moss covered staircases and a dark and treacherous hallway. Whenever you had walked down the long hallway, you ended back in the same room. All around the room laid beauteous paintings of exquisite caliber, but there was one in particular that you had flipped around. On the back, there was a dialect of hints about the room. It was written in what appeared to be… Norwegian? That couldn't be...But what exactly had that meant in its definitive?

You peered over the steep cliff, your cloudy amber eyes landing on the gleaming tops of the many archways. Whenever you had solved the main puzzle in a room, a new gemstone would place itself at the tip of the arch, signifying that the puzzle was already complete and that you could continue onto the next puzzle. Some were talc, and some were garnet or amethyst. You spotted a lone pearl all the way across the lake, its spherical form deeply embedded in the carved fold of an archway. There were rubies and sapphires, peridots and jades, with the occasional diamond smugly shining brighter than all of them. Each glowed with their own distinct color.

For each room you solved, you earned a carved marble key. Your sharp eyes lingered on the large mahogany archway that stood at the top of the pouring waterfalls. The massive door had twenty-six locks with a large silver lock right in the center. The doors of the archway were made of platinum and tempered steel, a thick chain of silver and iron casted across the door. Whatever was in there was obviously kept in there for a reason. But for your own reason, you wanted to know what laid behind the door. You pushed a paw into your right pocket, loosely grasping a handful of golden keys. You only had twenty-four, and you had no idea where to find the big key to the mahogany archway.

Getting to your paws, you silently turned around, bidding the beautiful lake a farewell for now as you slowly stalked away. The massive crystal archway loomed over you, the empty indent taunting your intellectual prowess as you grumbled to yourself. You stepped into the room again. It was actually nicely decorated, some potted plants here and there, and many tendrils of juniper and mint hung from the cobbled walls. It smelled earthy inside, the fresh scent of growing fauna reassuring… and slightly irritating. The tousled dirt underneath your paws was cool and smooth, the normal click of your long claws silenced. And then there was the hallway... It was pitch black, much like the exiting tunnel of Waterfall. Well. Do the impossible.

You felt strongly incompetent, picking up a spare stone and tossing it angrily into the dark hallway. As you threw it, it hit the dirt floor, a large piece chipping off and wedging in the dirt leaving the other to fly away into the hallway. Suddenly, the larger broken piece moved after it, the pebble rolling out in front of, perfect, with no chips or pieces missing. Didn't you break off that corner when you had threw it? An idea hit.

You went down the stairs, plucking a tall palm leaf from its fellows. You then picked up a large boulder and set it down in the archway of the hallway. It was big, but not too big to clog up the gateway. You began to tear the palm leaf in two, setting both of them on the ground.

"Grrrooowwl?" You turned your head and glanced at the entryway. One of the lone adult spirits had apparently decided to follow you, the lights in their eye sockets curios and unaware. You sighed and went back to work, taking one piece of the leaf and lodging it underneath the boulder. That should keep it from moving. You picked up the other piece, breathing in harshly. If this didn't work, nothing would. You stepped briskly into the hallway, paying no attention to the piece of the leaf that was trapped under the huge rock. As you came back out, the leaf that you held in your paws was perfectly intact, an exact replica of the restored piece under the boulder in perfect harmony with the other. Both of the leaves had suddenly burst into flames, the piece underneath the rock, burning into ash. Your partner had started at the fire, their eyes darting toward you in a panic. You shrugged and leaped off of the overhang, coming to smother the fire.

You heard the small sound of a lock click and with that, a small golden key fell from the ceiling. You loosely grasped the key, letting the key drop into your pocket. You now had twenty-five rings. Two more to go and then the great mahogany door would open. The darkness in the tunnel had faded away, a new corridor in sight. You slowly walked in, your little acquaintance following at your heels as the two of you emerged into a dark room. A great beacon of light issued from the middle of the room, a vast collection of scrolls displayed neatly. Something in your SOULs told you NOT to touch them. On one side of the room, a large panel was painted to look like the day sky, the depths a forget-me-not blue and covered with fluffy white clouds. Your partner seemed to like this one. On the other side, a panel portrayed the beauteous night, with tons of stars littering the sky. You preferred this one.

"Grrrr."

"What? Are your senses tingling or something?" On the two panels, each was decorated with their host body: one was the sun and one was the moon. Wow.

You walked closer to the beacon of light, your SOULS pulling you towards it against your will. There lay a date on the glass surface if the floor, a series of numbers indented in the glass. Your partner slowly ran their phalanges over the scripture, a dull purring ringing out in the cavern. They seemed to translate it to you.

"2/22/22 2:22" It appeared to be a date of sorts. The Gregorian calendar had to be involved in this. Let's see. You knew that the first two of the sequence meant February, the second month of the Gregorian calendar. The second set of twos had to mean the twenty-second of February. And the third set of twos had to mean the twenty-second of a year. ANY year. That made things difficult. The last three twos meant the time. Whether it was morning or night, you had no idea. You began to move the panels feverishly, your partner helping you as the panels began to slide out. You took a chanced guess, overlapping the day panel with the night panel in hopes that it was in the early morning. You knew that you had been correct and you purred with delight as the panels had locked stiffly into place. But the sun and moon placements were gonna be hard. You thought for a hard time, your acquaintance coming over to help you.

"Roowr.

"Wha-" They had roughly sat next to you, busily sliding the carved scriptures diagonally and vertically until the moon had lowered itself to the horizon. It clicked into place, your eyes wide as a small flap had opened up in the ceiling. A small golden key fell into your paws right as the room was swamped in darkness. But darkness was a friend. Apparently, your friend didn't think much of the dark, their pinprick eyes glowing in the dark. Yours did too, but that wasn't the point. Even though the two of you had ran for cover, it didn't stop the massive earthquake underneath you.

You and your corpse friend had hastily exited the room, looking back at the tip of the archway as you emerged into the vast cavern. A piece of lapis lazuli sat in the hole, a dark navy light emitting from its depths. The ground was still shaking, and the waters in the pool had begun to move. Your partner had moved closer to you, instinctively nestling you into their toga for safety. With unknown strength, your corpse friend had lifted you over their pectoral girdle as if you weighed nothing. You didn't mind. Your friend had begun to leap across the sharp rocks, their bones digging into the cobble as the two of you were thrown onto.

And yet, your friend seized you from the choppy waters, dragging you up towards the cove. Stalagmites had begun to fall, your friend pushing you into a crag in the cliff and blocking the entrance with their body.

"What are you doing?! You're gonna get yourself kill- Pff!" You snorted aloud, your corpse friend eyeing you with sarcastic anger.

"Sorry! *choke* J-just-" A loud silence had wrapped around the cavern, your friend craning their head to look around. You stooped to peer around their long leg bones to gaze at your surroundings. Wow. Thousands of the spirits came to spectate the damage, the marble city unshaken but the people, unseated. The crystal clear waters of the teal lake were choppy and dark, the cherry and buttercup petals sinking into the depths. The many geodes in the lake shone more brightly, almost blinding you with her dazzling beauty. Each and every archway had been filled with a gem, the multicolored lights from them all coming together at the apex of the tallest geode of the lake. The ground had stopped shaking, the remaining clumps of dock rooted into the ceiling. Without warning, you literally scrambled over the rocky surf towards the great mahogany door, taking out your key rings in anticipation. OH SNAP! You'd forgotten that you were missing a key. But.. you couldn't move.

Your mind screamed for you to run as far as possible, and yet your clawed limbs remained affixed to the spot. It seemed that your friend has given up on finding you. Each golden key had begun to glow a soft crimson color, separating the keys from the key ring and turning them on their axis.

You watched dutifully as each key fitted themselves into their respective locks, turning automatically once snug. Within seconds, a giant golden key fell from the ceiling. It had a large set of rib bones for the base, the elongated part being made up of fused femurs and humeruses. To you, this whole scene wasn't humorous at all. The giant key glowed a hue of darker crimson, sinister in all of its dark glory. You picked the large key up, having to hold it with two of your paws. You fit the large key into the giant silver lock, turning it sharply to the right. The spectators behind you all whispers in baited breath, a low growl audible through the door. It clicked. Suddenly, all of the keys faded away into nothing, the massive door opening into nothingness. But there was something beyond there, right?

You took a deep breath, stepping into the darkness and leaving those corpse citizens behind you. You could've sworn that somebody had shouted 'goodbye.' Whatever was in here was your final step to achieving something heroic. Here we go.

As you stepped inside of the massive cavern, the marble doors behind you had closed, a dense lock clicking shut. Welp. The cavern wasn't dark but something surely was. And then it spotted you.

A grisly creature rose from the darkness, its six legs large, rotten, and heavily clawed at the ends. It had many dragon-like heads, three sets of curling horns jutting upwards from the furred heads. Their swan-like necks thick and veiny, a large splash of blood and entrails wrapped around their necks like a scarf of sorts. It had the body of a wolf, heavy built and yet agile and free-floating. The great wings that furled out from the great beast were gruesome, bone and muscle clearly showing through the tufts of feathers and scales that were missing. It had a long scaly tail, with huge barbs on the end, that were dripping an unknown substance. The six sunken eye sockets that peered out at you had unseen points of fire smoldering in their depths. Its long teeth overlapped its upper jaw, a string of saliva and blood falling to the floor. It gave a low and throaty cackle, its hackles raised and its tail lashing violently from side to side. With a ground-shaking roar, its pitch black SOULs had soared away from their chest.

While you had two SOULs, the beast had three, one attached to each of the heads. If you could sever the heads, you could destroy their souls and achieve victory. You could sparsely hear the hammering of thousands of fists on the marble doors, each shouting a separate war cry.

The creature had started off the battle, two of the heads opening their massive jaws to form energy beams of sorts. You leaped to the side, cloaking your paws in wavering ashen flames. The flames blazed a bluish-white color, the shapes of multiple lion beasts taking shape on the walls. You flicked your right arm forward, three of the minions lunging for the beast's neck.

The beast reared its third head around, using three of its clawed paws to bat away at the attacking minions. You threw out your arm to the left, bringing it sharply to the right. Before the beast could react, you summoned a fourth minion to attack, the minion locking its sharp teeth into the beast's neck. You brought your arm back to the left, the three minions from the beginning opening their own maws to create a highly concentrated beam of fire. Together, the beams sliced through one of the necks, the head falling into the floor and disappearing. As the beast gave an indignant roar, you heard the sound of a SOUL shattering. Next one.

You dodged to the left as it brought down another massive paw, attempting to get rid of the four troublesome minions. Blood flew from its jaws, its sockets locked on your form now. After all, you were the ring leader. You threw your right arm out again, two of your minions slamming into the lean belly of the beast. A twitch of the left wrist. A larger minion flew through the air, dragging their sharp claws across the neck of another head, the blood exploded from their neck, spurting out in rapid jets. You'd struck an important vessel.

The head in question suddenly went limp, disappearing into the background. Another SOUL in pieces. The beast, with one head left, had not expected you to knock out her allies so easily. With a mighty snap of its jaws, the beast had threw itself forward, your minions attempting to knock you out of the way. Searing hot pain shot up your tail and you were seized and thrown. You tumbled through the air and slammed against the rock walls, a sharp rock piercing your shoulder. You muffled your cry of pain, hissing in anger as blood oozed from your shoulder. You were attached to the walls, your sharp claws digging into the rocks. You drew out one paw, the tons of the minions, charging up their beams. The beast could only try to lunge again as the beam had connected, ripping a massive hole into their left wing. This went battle went on for a while, the tension rising as you felled off the second wing, leaving the ground as its last domain. It was time.

With what remaining strength that you had, you summoned forth all of the magic in your monster SOUL. The rising embers from your minions surrounding you in a blaze of triumph and soon to be glory. Underneath it, you were puny, your form obscured by the steam and smoke. With all the magic that you had left, you summoned the mother minion. Her body consisted of lava and rampant wildfires, a blazing white blur of light that lit up the cavern walls. While she had no luxurious mane to speak of, the flowing tendrils of fire and smoke wafting off her body gave the impression of an explosion. The mother minion had no eyes to speak of, her eye sockets pitch black with small slits of intense light that glared upon the beast with the purest of hatred.

The mother minion was your strongest bet, the real battle just beginning. The beast unfurled its remaining limbs, flying at the mother minions with ice cold fury. You gave chase, focusing yourself on controlling the mother minion, who scaled the wall as if it were a tiny hill. You decided to call her Delarose. It was your minion after all, by the way.

Delarose opened her mouth, a bright beam of light flying out and getting the beast straight through the back right leg. It fell back to the earth, thrashing about as it tried to escape its inevitable fate. Delarose had unhooked herself from the wall, lunging for the beast's neck. The two rolled around, each at each other's throats for dominance. Delarose bit down hard, her imperious fangs sinking DEEP into the beast's face. The beast gave a thunderous cry of pain, the sound reverberating around the cavern. With a swift glance, Delarose eyed you with questioning grace. You gave a curt nod. With a powerful swipe, Delarose knocked the beast back onto its only hind paw, and without missing a beat, she struck straight, her claws slicing the beast's belly from neck to hind paws. The beast could barely cry out, the blood gushing out from its wound. With a feeble attempt at a counter, it collapsed to the floor, its rotting eyelids closing as it disappeared.

The final sound of a SOUL snapping signaled victory. With a nod and a bow to the mother minion, she fell onto her belly, glaring at you with protest.

You sighed and petted the huge kitty between her eye sockets, Delarose pushing her large muzzle into your gentle paws. It was a gift for her battle skills and a soothing tradition. With a small purr, she turned back into the bright flames of a normal minion, dimming until she was nothing but a faint trace of ash. You sighed and ran a bloody paw through your hair.

For the past two years, you've been getting better and stronger at your magic, almost strong enough to compete with your parents. Huh. You walked out of the bloody cavern, immediately noticing that the lake had drained. The spectators from before screamed with delight, most staying away from your bloody form. You came to stand at the edge of the dunes, watching as the geodes had begun to glow. And at the bottom, laid a glowing soul fragment and some other items. You leaped into the lake, skidding down the sides to stop at the piece. It glowed as you approached, pulsing gently with the beat of an unknown rhythm. You pulled the tablet out from your tunic pocket. The soul fragment inside glowed brighter at the presence of its sibling, the second soul fragment resting beside its brother.

You turned to assess the other items, tears sparkling in your eyes when you spotted your old map. You had also found your phone, your house keys, some moldy loaves of bread, some water bottles, and a thick blanket.

You had lost all of this stuff back when you had fell into that pit of rotting monster bodies in Snowdin. You could finally document your memories on that map! Score!

It was time to go, the excited murmurs from the corpses growing silent. You were sad to leave this place behind, and as you left, you turned back to the city, your dark blue tunic whipping in the winds. The teal lake was full again, the cherry blossoms thick on the water, and the scent of daffodil and cherries heavy in the air. You grinned and waved goodbye, the corpses waving back at you and then fading into mist. They had been put to ease, knowing that their killer had been flayed.

Time to go, this time for sure. Though you had to be careful now. Things had changed for the worst out there, and your old acquaintances were still trying to hunt you down with death. You shivered. You'd do anything to avoid them.

It took a while, as the trip to the crystal caverns had been a long one. It took the same amount of time as it did in Snowdin, the path to the crystal caverns not becoming known until you ventured up onto the ceiling. You were right about the stars in Waterfall. They were enormous up close. You did some scouting up there, your SOULs leading you towards a piece of a yellow diamond. You had to push the diamond, the gem clicking in its place as a stone wall slid out of place. Turns out, there was a whole land of just crystals beyond the walls of Waterfall, leading deep under the earth. You'd been climbing for forever, the pretty crystals now bland from your point of view. Ah. There was the door.

There was a door across the vast waters of Waterfall, and it could be assessable by taking a boat across the waters from the earthy islands in the Waterfall. Of course, it takes days to get across. You pushed open the stone door, the smell of rain and wet earth flooding your nostrils.

You had purposefully left a boat here, one you had created earlier from reeds and wood slabs. It came equipped with oars, too. You shut the door behind you, and clambered into the boat, the choppy waters rocking it side to side. You grabbed the wooden oars and began to push and pull, the oars shaping the waves and propelling you forward.

You heard the familiar drip of water droplets from the ceiling, the cyan waters murky and pieces of echo flowers littered the place. You were sixteen now, it being two years since you had arrived down here. How long had it been since you had last ate? Or since you'd slept? Huh. Time flies by fast.

The boat had docked by the bay, the pier silent and still. You quietly made your way out, the lush grass pushing its way between your toe beans. It felt good.

Apart from the stream of endless cries of forlorn monsters, the underground was its normal self. Or at least, that's what Papyrus thought.

The path to Snowdin had been blocked a long time ago, the monsters with earth magic sealing the spare holes. He could no longer go to check if Lion had come back, nor could he send them letters anymore. The post merchants wouldn't deliver there anymore. They'd been gone for two whole years, the only mention of them tied around the three deaths and Oliver.

Sans, as far as he knew, was okay, the slight dip in his mood, every once in awhile, but he was generally okay.

Papyrus had been promoted a couple times, his rank close to Head of the Royal Guard now. Of course, Undyne had been filling the position for years, and because she was his friend, he couldn't take that from her.

Frisk, Sue, and Oliver had often joined him on his daily patrols, nothing new except more land plots for still-moving monsters. It was a lot more cheerier, the deaths having stopped after Snowdin was closed off.

Toriel and Asgore were the only two that could go back. Riverman was happy to assist, carrying the two wherever they needed to go.

Speaking of Toriel and Asgore, the two were seemingly inseparable these days. Toriel had lost most of her confidence, and she'd depended on Asgore to be her rock, her stability. He had accepted, not that he needed her back. He'd gradually accepted the loss of his mate and had stopped mourning for the things that were long gone. Frisk seemed happier at the reconnection between the two, waggling their eyebrows at them whenever they got the chance.

Undyne was much happier than she was last year. Since the rate of monster casualties had dropped, her job was just maintaining the peace of the four regions that remained of the underground.

Alphys was okay, her only troubles were that of the limited geothermal energy of the magma lake. She and Sans, who had reclaimed his title of co-head scientist, had begun to make plans of dragging energy from the Earth's core. They were still working on it.

The children were surprisingly cheerful. Sue was now eleven years old, Oliver was now thirteen years old, and Frisk was now nine years old. They were always trying to one-up Oliver, who was four years their senior. While Oliver and Frisk went off sometimes, Sue would wander around and mess with the echo flowers. Heh. It was more depressing than you would normally think.

It was a quiet day in Waterfall, the weather being perfect for a walk. Papyrus had managed to persuade Sans and Alphys to stop working on their project and take a break. Never had he seen his brother work so hard, nor did he know that Sans was so intelligent. The two grumbled heatedly before agreeing, Undyne and the children volunteering to go on another rescue mission.

They were far into the caverns of Waterfall, back at the huge rock hill with the tunnel. They were about to turn into the exit tunnel of Waterfall when Papyrus had spotted a flash of brown fur among the rocks. It slinked silently among the walls, a long brown tail streaming after it. He threw his right arm out, silently motioning to look down at the bottom. And they saw her.

Lion was at the bottom of the trench, silently picking their way across the cavern floor. They moved with utmost silence, their bright amber eyes gleaming with anxiety. They were really hard to see, but if you squinted hard enough, you could see the silhouette of their lithe frame. They all went wide-eyed.

"LION?!" Papyrus had called out to them, you snapping their head towards him to stare in a frantic panic. Your amber eyes darted from person to person before you took off away from the group, running away as fast as possible. Your form had went hurtling over the rocks, all four of your paws working to get you as far away from the group as possible.

"WAIT! NO- COME BACK!" But you were hurtling out of sight. Undyne had thrown herself down the cliff, Papyrus joining the chase. Surprisingly, Sue had joined along as well, and the boy could run like the dickens.

You were much farther up ahead, your claws frantically clicking on the stone walls. Undyne had summoned her spear magic as she ran, a wall of spears enclosing the monster child. The kid had stopped, but then leaped onto the wall, attempting to jump over the wall in their mad dash for freedom. Papyrus hadn't missed a beat, his bone magic jutting out from the walls, trapping Lion against the rock walls.

They all watched as Lion thrashed wildly about, trying desperately to break free. Sue had caught up, him joining the fray. Lion had looked different than he had expected. They were pretty tall, about the height of Papyrus's shoulder. Sue only reached Paps's twelfth rib. Their hair was mid-back length, unkempt and fluffy. Their tail was absolutely massive, a long limb of fur thrashing desperately. There were massive bags under their amber eyes, them apparently not getting enough sleep.

But what really took the cake was the overwhelming amount of fear in your eyes. They'd taken a step closer, but recoiled as you threw your arm out, a massive beast of fire shielding you from his view. It was a huge lion, made of fire and all other things hot. It snarled at the group, another joining the fray. The beast's dark eye sockets glared down at them, a thunderous roar shaking the foundation of the cavern.

"Lion! Please calm down!" Papyrus screamed. You didn't. The beast had begun to charge up, their jaws filling with raw magic power. Undyne trembled, Papyrus hauling her and Sue out of the way as the beam shot forth, missing them by an inch. The massive beam hit the walls, the rock wall exploding and crumbling into miniature pebbles. Fuck.

Sans and the others could only watch as you started to lash out in fear, your magic taking shape and protecting you from harm. He knew why you were doing this. You were scared. Scared of them. Scared that they would take another one of your lives. But he'd nearly joined the fight when that beam had whipped through the air. It could've killed Papyrus. Were you trying to kill them? To take revenge?

Suddenly, a huge explosion rocked the cavern. A large cloud of dust and smoke filled the bottom of the clearing. And when it cleared, Papyrus cried out in frustration and Undyne gave a panicked caterwaul.

You had burned your restraints to cinders, breaking free and disappearing behind the smoke. Lion had escaped. Sans wanted to scream in anger and frustration. They had almost trapped you, but you had got away. He gave a low sigh. When were they gonna return? Would they ever forgive the others for killing them?


	23. The Fourth Player

Back At Bad Time Central

"Claira! Claira, come back here or you'll regret it!" She had skimmed gracefully over the long sweeping lawns, her silk lavender dress billowing behind her as she flew over the tall mound.

"Ow!" Claira had stubbed her toe, falling onto her back in the grass and clutching her foot wearily. A short sequence of light footfalls followed.

"Claira… stubbed your toe again, huh?" Clarissa, Claira's elder sister, knelt upon the trimmed lawns to inspect the damage. She gave a puff of relief and ruffled her younger sister's long black hair.

"Told you that you'd regret it. Dad wants us back at the house before evening. You know what the punishment is, don't you?" Clarissa whispered. Claira's bright green eyes widened, her nodding anxiously as she stood up. Clarissa gripped her wrist, pulling her back down.

"No need to worry about it. I'll take tonight's shift so you won't have to-"

"But-"

"No buts! Including yours. We still have quite some time before we have to go back in. Why not enjoy the lovely breeze?" Clarissa had nudged her tiny sister in laying back in the grass, both sisters sharing a comfortable moment of peace staring up at the pale blue sky. Thin white clouds lurked in the corner of the sky, the morning's swallows chirping in content.

"Hey. CJ." Claira beckoned. Clarissa turned her head lazily and shot her younger sister a weak smile. It faltered for a bit, Clarissa's fern green eyes holding a solemn slimmer.

"Yeah."

"Do you ever wonder… about Dad's study?"

"His study? Why would you think about something as dreary as that? We're not to go inside, let alone think about trying it. We mind our business and dad minds his."

"Yeah but… do you… do you remember that story that mom told us? When we were younger?" Claira asked dully. Clarissa turned her head, her face scrunched in a thinking expression.

"Mom read us lots of stories when we were younger, Claira. Be more specific."

"Do you remember the one about Mt. Ebott-"

"We're not to talk about that one."

"But do you think that it's-"

"Claira." A pause of confusion passed before Clarissa thundered on.

"You know as well as I do, that if dad catches us talking about that, that we'll both be punished. Do you remember what he did last time?" She whispered. Claira's mind whisked back to a time when she was held down by the scruff of her neck, a husky sinister voice calling in her ears. She pleaded, cried, and begged the voice to stop. To show her mercy…

Least to say, Clarissa had protected her from the majority of the attacks, her innocence mirroring her little sister's no more. Claira shuddered and intertwined the two of their fingers together.

"I wish mom was here."

"So do I, but… she's not coming back again." A spare tear slipped down Claira's pale cheek, her long black hair sweeping into her face. She idly brushed the long strands out of her hair with her fingers, her eyes closing. Within seconds, the small child had fallen asleep on the slope, her thin pale legs tucked tightly. Clarissa gave a heavy sigh and gently picked up the child, kissing her forehead once before making her way down the slope. Dad would be expecting them anyway…

"Claira! Claira, wake up you dolt!" Rough hands were violently shaking her awake, a rough whisper sounding in her ear. Claira awoke to the irritating feel of cobblestone underneath her toes. Right. Here we are. She gave a dull stretch and opened her eyes, jumping back in shock as Clarissa's face was right in front of hers. She looked to be excited.

"Come on Claira! Help me lift this panel!" Clarissa had turned back to what she was doing, the basement cold and still. Claira got to her feet and went over by Clarissa, the teen having trouble lifting a large cobblestone panel.

"CJ..? What is-"

"Shh! We can leave! Now hurry and help me lift this panel before dad finds out!" Clarissa whispered. Claira had instantly set to work, her frail arms constricting to lift up the massive rock. How long had this panel been here? Now was not the time for that. We a quiet 'clunk' the two girls had lifted the panels, the chill of the night's air permeating Claira's thin shirt. The dark lawns glittered in the light of the moon, the hounds quiet. For now, that is. Rough hands had suddenly ushered her outside, Clarissa moving the cobblestone panel back into place. It was freezing outside.

"Listen, Claira. This might be our only chance. We're gonna make a break for it. You run ahead and try to jump the fence. Don't give up. I'll run behind you, and if it calls for that, I'll bait the hounds. Rather me than you. Whatever you hear, don't turn back. Ready?" Claira gave a quick nod of understanding. The two young ladies stood braced against the cold winds, the front blowing against them.

"Three, two,one…. Run!" Clarissa whispered. Claira had dashed across the sweeping lawns, her bare feet skidding multiple times on the grass. Her thin t-shirt flew out from behind her, her long black hair messy and unkempt. Claira breathed heavily, her heart racing even faster as another pair of footfalls began to run with her. So far so good. Even though the walls were very far ahead, she kept running, Clarissa keeping pace. The moon glimmered brightly, encouraging them to keep going.

Claira tripped, her from skimming across the ground as she flew down the hill. Clarissa hadn't missed a beat, already accounting for her younger sister's clumsiness. With a heave, she ducked and grabbed onto her sister, flinging her onto her shoulder. While Claira caught her breath, she spotted a dark figure hurtling after them. It was much too fast to be human. What was-

"Hounds! Run faster!" Claire whispered in her elder sister's ears. Too late. The alpha dog began to bark at their sprinting forms, Clarissa loosening her grip on Claira.

"Be strong for me, all right?"

"What?" With an impossible throw, Clarissa ran straight towards the nearing stone walls and catapulted Claira over it. There was a deafening slam and a fierce pain in her ribs. Claira looked up, spotting the huge stone fence looming over her. But she was not in the sweeping lawns of her house. A loud series of barking broke out and within another few seconds, a figure was struggling over the top. Claira had stumbled to her feet, blindly reaching for her sister's hands.

"Get her! Stop her from escaping!"

"Where's the other one?" Clarissa had made it over the top of the fence, her skin scraping roughly on the walls. A heavy stream of blood flowed from her arm but she dismissed it, pushing her sister along. A loud alarm had rang through the air, Clarissa stiffening as the hollers of the dogs had begun to follow us.

"Claira! Run!" Clarissa had turned and fled back towards the house, Claira fleeing away from it. Her feet constantly snagged on tendrils of bramble and vines, the howls and whistles of the dogs drawing closer. They would catch her and take her back to that place. A blood-curdling scream had pierced the air, and within seconds, it had vanished. Claira had ran faster, her blood pumping and her her breathing quickening as she turned a rough corner and began to climb a slope.

It had been somewhere in the middle of spring when the third new child had fallen into the Underground. When the monitor had flared to life, Toriel had been the first one to fly out the door of her house, Asgore close behind. They came back with a little girl. She had long black hair that went down to her shoulders, pale white skin, and bright green eyes. She ONLY wore a thin white shirt. Toriel had dressed her in a long robe and told Asgore not to mention anything about it.

Her name was Claira. It had taken hours to get it out of her. From what she had told the monsters, she had been chased and had taken to the mountain for shelter. She had the pure SOUL of KINDNESS. Another soul to add to the collection. All they needed now was INTEGRITY, JUSTICE, AND PERSEVERANCE. The child of kindness had agreed upon the system of the monsters, swearing that she would use her SOUL to liberate the monsters.

Claire was apparently from a wealthy line of parents. Her mother had strangely disappeared at a young age, and her father…. Well. Whenever Toriel or Asgore would ask her, she would burst into tears and refuse to talk to anybody. After she had gotten used to the monsters, she had told them (but the readers shall never know) what had happened, and life was a whole lot happier. Claira had some similarities with Sue, their love of flora attracting the two of them. The two got along quite nicely, as they both enjoyed the simpler things that life had to offer.

All of the monsters from the other destroyed regions had moved to Waterfall, Hotland, or the capital a long ago. It was mostly because of the grand scale genocide of the Ruins and Snowdin. For a long time, nobody had thought that Snowdin would be attacked. After all, majority of the sentries and royal guards had been posted up in that small town. Regardless of her efforts, there had been multiple side murders in the city, and a dead body behind Grillby's was what set people off. Before you knew it, people were hastily packing up her belongings and giving her last month's worth of rent. There WAS a suspect, but they had turned out to be incredibly innocent.

After Snowdin had been abandoned, the officials from Waterfall had come to board up the tunnel back into the town. Only one person hadn't moved and that person was still missing. Of course, few still talked about the missing child, and only a few select people were actually looking for them.

There were rarely any deaths to speak of ,nowadays, considering that the royal guards and the king were on heavy watch. A curfew had been put up for all monsters, excluding those who were nocturnal. They had a curfew at dawn. Two regions had been already claimed, and the rest were going to remain. Still...

The skeleton brothers missed their cozy house in Snowdin, the familiar faces of the town scattered about and nonexistent. Toriel and her children had taken up residence at the edge of Waterfall, Asgore visiting time to time. Undyne was on edge nowadays, Papyrus just as stressed as she was. Sans and Alphys were still hard at work at building the mega drill that would help out with the draining energy. Despite their struggles, not one of them had forgotten how close they were to getting Lion back.

But there was something wrong with them. The intense amount of fear in their eyes, the way that they had fought back that day. It was all…. wrong.

Nonetheless, life went on for the group, and the oncoming stress might be too much to take on.

It had been a close shave earlier. The others had somehow found a way to locate you, but you had managed to escape to safety. Thank heavens.

You held your head in your shaky paws, your long claws slowly making their way down your face, gently. You weren't sure if you could handle a close encounter of that kind again. You had nearly killed Undyne, let alone, injured Papyrus and the kid. Why were they all following you? Why was everybody trying to kill you, all of a sudden? You never did anything wrong!

You gazed at the small oak alarm clock on the fireplace, the glass screen glowing from the dim scarlet ember that blew through the house. You sat hunched in your old recliner, watching as the orange flames soaked through your fur. Ahh. Much better.

You'd fled back to Snowdin afterwards, digging a small hole through one of the walls in Waterfall and escaping back towards your home. The power had been cut out for some reason, so the entire area outside your house was pitch black. It didn't help that you were scared of the dark, either or that your paws kept getting caught in the snow. Within coming into view of your house, you couldn't feel your paws,and your ears were numb with frostbite.

You had taken a cold shower, bundling yourself up in multiple comforters and starting a roaring fire. Quite literally. One of your minions had did it themselves, as your magic can do that sometimes. After all, your minions reformed from the flames. Delarose was curled up in your life, her small chest slowly rising and falling. The rest of your minions, Hunter, Chase, and Tank were nestled together in the far corner underneath a huge mound of blankets. They too, were sleeping.

It was bad enough that everybody was gone, but the darkness just added to the problem. Sure, you were nocturnal, but something about that impenetrable darkness put you on edge. Every time you steeled your courage and looked through the frosted windows, you saw them. The gory bodies of the fallen monsters who were killed two years ago. The monsters whose dust you happily washed down the drain. You felt sick, nausea gripping your insides. But the darkness was your friend, right?

It took quite a bit of time to patch up the holes and cracks that littered your house, the cold worming its way in during your absence. Your furniture remained, an old quilt that Toriel knitted hung up on the far wall. You heard the sound of the pine branches crackling and burning in the fire, the smoke rising out through the swept brick chimney. The warmth from the fire soothed you and also reminded you that you would have to reinforce the roof with more wood later. This house was slowly caving in around you.

The blizzard outside mercilessly beat down on the roof of your house, thick layers of snow piling around your front door. The weather's gotten so bad that Snowdin had been completely submerged in snow. You now had to shovel snow away from your house before you slept. Meh. You'd shovel it later. You listened to the silence, a dark grimace spreading across your muzzle. Sigh.

You hadn't expected the dark in here when you had escaped. As soon as you had crossed through, you realized where you were. The sledding slopes with the sinister silhouette of the town dead ahead. Everything was submerged in darkness, your ears playing tricks on you as you crossed the threshold of Snowdin. The city was partially covered in snow, the bar dark and the skeleton brother's hovel being nothing more than an empty house. Your house, on the other hand, was at an elevated height, the piles of snow falling downhill. From here, you could see everything. But you didn't want to see everything. Not anymore.

You hummed idly to yourself, your amber eyes glowing with the light of the fire. You still had one SOUL fragment left to find, and it lay in the bowels of Hotland. You weren't entirely sure how you were going to pass to Hotland without getting caught by the others. You couldn't risk that shit again. Not after last time. Not after the last three times.

You stopped to listen to the thrum of snow on the roof, the darkness kept at bay by the fire. There was really nothing out here for you. Heh. Now, it really fit the description of 'a barren winter wasteland'. You peered at the stone tablet next to you, sitting on the wooden table innocently. You were too far from Hotland for the tablet to activate. The SOUL fragments still pulsed brightly, as if cheering you on and ushering you to stop dallying.

You ignored it and continued your dreary thoughts. There was no more nothing coming to Snowdin. No water, no heat, no light, no energy, nada. You had taken to grooming yourself on the go, as it was very effective at , but effective.

You hadn't eaten in awhile, as the only shops that were open were in Waterfall, and you weren't sure if they'd be too welcoming to a kid who's been gone for two and a half years. You couldn't travel with the Riverman, as his routes rarely came here, and Toriel and Asgore came that way. No thank you. But if you could, you could take the hole you got here with. It was the only other way, and you couldn't risk digging another into oblivion. The hole was in a safe spot, a tunnel paving the way to Waterfall without risk. Of course, only you could go through, as others wouldn't be able to bend and flex their bodies like you can.

There was nothing to be done until the morning. You couldn't sleep, the fear of somebody watching you in the dark intensifying. But that was the only way to get out of here. Delarose seemed to wake in your thoughts, purring and hopping off of you, the other three shuffling her paws. You steeled your courage once more, picking up the tablet and stuffing it into your pocket. It was just the dark. Stop being such a scaredy cat.

Suddenly, you remembered a day two years ago, when you and Sans were constantly throwing puns back at each other. Papyrus would shriek in disgust and leap out of the living room window. But that was a long time ago. You weren't sure why you were scared of Papyrus, though. He didn't straight up kill you, nor did Toriel or Asgore. But you saw the large group. You did not want to die. But would they kill you if they found you? Would you ever forgive them for what they did? Even if it was a mistake? You didn't know the answer….

You remembered arriving here, only to stumble upon Papyrus's letters. You didn't burn these. You took the time to read every last one. Most summarized what had happened since you had disappeared while other documented what the group did while you were gone. These were from a year ago. There were four letters at the bottom: one from Sans, one from Undyne, one from Papyrus, and one from Asgore. Each was an apology letter. These were dated a year ago, too. You decided to read them. You unsheathed one claw, slicing upon the top to Undyne's letter.

 _Oi! Answer these damn letters already, you punk! Papyrus and I are probably wasting our breaths with these infernal scraps of paper but I want you to listen and listen good. We never intended to hurt you-_

"That's a lie." You muttered under your breath, but you continued.

 _-but we were alarmed because of the dust that you had on you. What was I supposed to think when you came lumbering out of the Ruins with a shit ton of monster dust on you? Was it really monster dust? I jumped to conclusions and killed you. Boo hoo. Get over it and get your ass back to Waterfall. Papyrus, Sans, Asgore and I are leaving these letters for you before we leave Snowdin forever. And for the love of all that is holy, stop ignoring us!_

"She calls that an apology? Meh." You began to burn the letter but thought better of it, putting out the fire and letting it fall back on the recliner. You then reached for Paps's letter.

 _TO LION, THE MONSTER CHILD: I HOPE THAT YOU ARE DOING WELL! I APOLOGISE GREATLY FOR OUR FRIEND'S ACTIONS, AS THEY DID NOT SEE YOUR SIDE OF THE STORY. WE ALL MISS YOU DEARLY, AND WE SWEAR THAT WE WON'T HARM YOU. WHEN YOU COME BACK, I'LL MAKE YOU A FRESH PLATE OF MY GOURMET SPAGHETTI! ( SANS SAYS THAT I'M GETTING BETTER! ) I HOPE THAT YOU'LL COME AND VISIT US, AS WE LIVE IN HOTLAND NOW!_

Good old Papyrus. How could you ever stay mad at him? You let Paps's letter fall next to Undyne, a warm glow spreading across your heart. You reached for Sans's letter next, his being much shorter.

 _*hey kid. don't suppose that you're reading this and haven't chucked it yet? we're still lookin' for ya, and we aren't gonna hurt you. we just miss you, is all._

You had nothing against this one, letting it fall next to the other two. Oh boy. This one was long.

 _To miss Lion of Snowdin,_

 _I wish to inform you that the region of Snowdin will be closed off due to the recent mass murder of town citizens. Due to the evacuation, we'll be shutting off any utility that it wired for your dwelling. It is advised that you move to a safer area, and inform your nearest sentry of your whereabouts. Thank you._

 _On a side note, ignore the corny writing above and visit us already. Tori and Frisk miss you dearly, and there's a human child here named Sue who claims that he knows you. Do you really know him? I suppose it's a small world when you're a monster. Mettaton actually did an investigation episode on you, and it's been airing once a week. Papyrus, Undyne, and the children go looking for you everyday. Why not give up the act? We won't harm you. It was a mistake on our end, and we all apologize greatly._

 _Won't you ever come and visit? ~Asgore_

"So that's what happened."

The darkness was a friend. That was what you kept telling yourself, as you walked through the dark wood, your footsteps echoing loudly in the snowstorm. It seemed that with each step you took, you kept remembering the old times, when life was simple and dust wasn't thick in the air. You felt the thick, hot tears run down your cheeks as you thought back.

You remembered the time you forced down Papyrus's spaghetti pancakes, the time you won against Toriel at Bingo, the time when you went scuba diving with Undyne, the time when you watched that fantasy anime with Alphys, and the time when you went exploring the seas of Waterfall with Frisk. The tears came down harder, you wiping them away with your sweater sleeve.

You remembered hanging out at Grillbys with Sans, chatting with the Snowdin shopkeepers, helping out at the librarby, playing texas (how did they know about this) poker with the dog sentries, and petting the greater and lesser dog. And as you came upon the grand pine tree in Snowdin Central, you stopped and let yourself cry. And you kept remembering.

You remembered running around with M.K., you remembered watching as the rock family played monsters and humans, you remembered wrapping the presents with Dol, the bear that always checked the presents under the tree. You remembered chatting about politics with the bear bouncer at Grillby's, you remembered watching the ice wolf do his job, and you remembered knocking on the ghoul's house.

You remembered taking the Snowdin tunnels with Snowdrake, trying on hats with Icecap, undecorating Gryftrot, and playing with the Annoying Dog. And all of your acquaintances, NO, all your FRIENDS, were somewhere, scattered around the underground waiting for you to come back. You picked yourself up, the tears stopping just for a minute or two. You continued onto the snowy slopes, the hole into the Waterfall in your sight. You stopped at the hole, turning back on your heel. You felt your sweater swaying in the cold Snowdin wind. Well. Time to go.

You'd been walking for awhile. The lush grass of Waterfall was always soothing to your senses. The calm cyan waters gently splashed onto the river banks, the smell of salt water and lilac wafting towards you. You could only guess where everybody had moved to as the letters weren't that descriptive At the beginning of the caverns, there had been guards to make sure nobody leaves the cave without supervision. Apparently, only royalty and those who are strong enough can pass through. It would've sucked if you tried to burst through that gate.

You idly remembered the names of the guards: Dogamy and Dogaressa. They were especially good at poker, and often nuzzled their noses together, but they were cute and you didn't mind their public displays of affection. It was much hotter here in Waterfall. It must be summer here, or something.

Your claws quietly clicked on the grassy floors, your twitching paws stuffed in your sweater pockets. You really weren't used to being around people. It HAD been two years after all. It wasn't quite like you had thought it'd be. There was absolutely nowhere to hide, and the teal waters were populated by many boats and canoes. Monsters of every nationality were hanging around the pier, attending to their chores or discussing some topic with a friend.

Despite what you had told yourself in Snowdin, there was no way not to wing it. The whole place was filled to the brim with monsters, there being no empty clearing in sight. You had to opt for blending in with the crowd. You swerved into the flow of the pier, getting swept away and blending in with the monsters around you.

It was working so far, as you'd seen Grillby, the shopkeepers, and even Greater Dog, all of which didn't seem to notice you as you flitted by. Probably because you were smol and wore neutral clothing. You kept walking, splitting apart from the crowd to stop by the east water's bank. It wasn't as populated here, the gentle tide slapping gently against the slippery pebbles. You let out a shaky sigh and scratched the back of your head. Heavy footfalls slowly made her way towards you. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea after all.

You made to stand, your pursuer instantly getting closer. You snarled and hissed at the person, them staggering backwards allowing for you to escape. You had gotten a few paces away before something had tripped you up. You fell onto your hands, a strong weight appearing on your back. You hissed again, your right paw cuffing the person's head.

You felt a glimmer of satisfaction as you had felt something come off from your attack. You were about to cuff them again with your electricity magic when a strong hand and attached its grip to your arms, the force being the equality of a bear trap.

Spare electricity crackled wildly in your paws, your attacker forcing you onto your feet. There was no way that you could turn away and there was no way you could use your magic on them. As you struggled against her grip, you heard a deep and husky chuckle, the grip on your arm tightening all the more. Fuck. That voice could only belong to one person. The one skeleton that you did NOT want to run into to. You took a deep breath, every part of your existence screaming for you to run. But there was no escape.

It was just you, Sans, and… a clearing? Your mind was swimming with fear and your heart was racing. You felt suffocated, your form trembling mind was too focused on your current predicament and panicking to pay any attention to Sans, who had released your arms.

The clearing was surrounded by deep teal water and nothing else. Just a floating rock in the middle of the ocean. There was a dock nearby, but no boats. No flora or anything, other than two other people whom you didn't want to bump into. The two said people being Undyne and Papyrus.

The two were sparring, hint word: WERE. As soon as you and Sans had appeared in the clearing, the two had dropped what they were doing to stare at your vulnerable form. You backed fearfully away from them, only to bump into Sans, who'd caught you and held you still. Their apology letters reappeared before your eyes.

" _Get over it and get your ass back to Waterfall."_

" _WE SWEAR THAT WE WON'T HARM YOU"_

" _we aren't gonna hurt you"_

" _We won't harm you"_

Their words seemed highly insincere now. You snarled at the three of them, Undyne approaching you slowly. You were having NONE of that. You threw out your right arm, a minion of fire appearing at the edge of the clearing. It gave a thunderous roar and sparked with fire, multiple embers of scarlet flames dancing off of its mane.

"Woah! Lion, calm down!" Never. You moved your fingers slightly, the minion splitting into more and more until the group was surrounded by them, each charging up a beam. 'You did not want to die again.'

Sans had tightened his grip on Papyrus,obviously telling the two not to agitate you with magic. That was fine. You could just tell them what to do through your SOULs. The largest one glanced your way, you nodding despite Sans's futile attempt at keeping your attention on them. The minions fired from every direction, a harsh light filling the air. Ding!

A dull ring of black smoke filled the clearing, a plethora of coughing sounding from the other side. A dim green light filled the clearing, dimming into nothing when the smoke had suddenly cleared. It was Undyne. She had created a wrap-around shield. The trio was behind it, Undyne vanishing the shield. You could see where this was going.

There was no escape, and like a cornered animal, all you could do was fight back. You threw out your arm again, more minions dispersing around your side of the battlefield. Undyne had started the match, an apparent three against one kind of battle. Fine then.

You watched as your SOULs were pulled out. This time you wouldn't die. You felt the ground shake beneath your paws, you stepping an inch to the right as a horde of spears had pierced through the earth. You knew your senses well enough to dodge precisely. At the twitch of your ears, you ducked, a cyan bone whizzing past your head.

"Lion please! We just want to talk!" So did you, but none of them ever gave you chance when they murdered you.

You thrust yourself forward, your minions at the ready as they busted through Undyne's shield and fell down upon her. She countered with a physical movement, charging you with a huge spear. You ducked the next storm of bones from your side, side stepping her charge before throwing a minion on top of her.

"Stop attacking!" Last time you checked, they had been asking for this for the longest time.

A minion suddenly pushed you out of the way, it firing a harsh beam of light to counter another. A swarm of dragon skulls had circled the clearing, each charging up a new beam of power. You summoned two for each, easily scorching the blasters and reducing them into cinders. The threw attack after attack at you, not pausing for any turns. They'd all but given up on trying to talk you out of the battle, their words starting to become annoying.

"WE DO NOT WISH TO HURT YOU, DEAR FRIEND! WE ONLY WISH TO TALK TO YOU!" Papyrus was at his strength's end. His brother was too, the bones had begun to cease in amount. You could shatter them with a gentle tap of your paws. Undyne was barely standing, the pieces of broken shields littering the clearing and becoming a hassle for movement. You however, kept attacking, lashing out in anger and fear. They just wanted to talk, was that so hard to ask? But it was. They all knew why you were refusing to stop in your merciless barrage of their defenses.

"Why won't you let us talk to you?!"

"Because you never let me!" With that, you summoned another round of minions. They were highly durable, like miniature tanks that had a fuck ton of destructive power. The group had to find this out the hard way.

"We're sorry!"

"Sorry doesn't make up for the three lives you cost me!" You commanded the minions to fire again, Undyne barely blocking the attack as when the attack hit, her body had went flying across the field.

They'd taken quite the beating. You had pressed them as hard as possible,and getting Undyne's HP to a steady three had taken quite some time. You took Papyrus's HP to two, and Sans hadn't even taken a hit from you as he only had one HP. You weren't going to kill any of them. You would never take the life of anyone, no matter how bad. It was when a boat had appeared next to the shore that you took off. They didn't have enough energy to swim after you. You disengaged from the battle, jumping into the cold ocean.

"OH! COME ON!" Papyrus screamed.

It had been a while hadn't it? They'd been without a body for so long, that they would resort to anything. They had slaughtered the multitudes of monsters, using an old body that they came to possess in the last timeline. It was so dark in this place. Ever since the old hag left, there'd been nothing to kill. They had been dumping the spare bodies in a pit, nothing being of use.

But there was ONE thing that they would have possessed if they wouldn't have missed 'd been a kid who fell into the pit two years earlier. They had two SOULs. But they'd missed their opportunity, felling a stronger monster when it had taken place. And they'd let it get away. But not this time. This time, they'd been around to watch the fourth human fall. Her SOUL was weak, the pure KINDNESS wafting off of it like a banquet to the demon. And they'd possessed the body. It was young and fairly new. This timeline was so interesting, what with its new quirks. They only thing that bothered them was that monster child. They were trying to resurrect Gaster, even if they didn't know it themselves.

The fool.

If they would have known about the SOUL fragment being down there, they would've crushed it to even smaller pieces and scattered it in the snow of Snowdin. But that kid had found it first, taking it as theirs. If they would've know better, then they would have stopped caring about that dumb monster child…

But the temptation was too great. And with a new body, they could wreak even more havoc than before. This was a new timeline after all, and what better way to break in a timeline, than to kill everyone in it? Chara faded into the SOUL of the fallen child. They'd possess them when they needed, and there would be no way to detect them anyway. It wasn't time. Not just yet...


	24. The Hunt For Puss Puss

Cracked Up

Papyrus had disappeared sometime during the middle of the night, off to god knows where. Sans had panicked and took off, saying that he'd find his younger brother before anything bad could happen. Well, that was a truth and a lie. Papyrus had wandered off into the hottest parts of Hotland, his bones insensitive to the blistering heat of the magma pool beneath him. This place seemed to be the one place where they weren't spotted at.

It had been another long and dark year. Precisely three years since Lion had went missing. It had been her birthday a fortnight ago. Three years of being in the resolute dark, and three years of death, war, and intensifying agony.

If Papyrus could remember correctly, Lion had went off in search of an answer for their tablet. Why did they insist on seeing that thing ,though? Why hadn't he stopped them before all this crazy stuff started happening? He couldn't tell. It seemed that he had been walking on the ridges of Hotland for forever, the sound of the CORE's wheezing steam vents blurred into fine static that filled his skull. As he peered out into the depths of Hotland, he had taken notice of the holes of the CORE. They had popped up recently.

Why was he even bothering to look for you anymore? You certainly didn't seem to care about him, or the others, and if so, you would've replied in letters. After all, you were much to fearful to talk to him in person... No. No, you cared about them, but you were just scared of them. That's what was wrong with them. He'd be in their same situation if he was the one brutally murdered three times in a row.

Funny, how they used to be such great friends. But now… it was like they were complete strangers.

As Papyrus scanned the dull features of Hotland absentmindedly, he remembered the first time that he'd met Lion. They had been extremely nervous about something, constantly fidgeting with their paws or twitching an ear or the tip of their tail. Their eyes would become dull and they would sink into a strut of sorts when deemed acceptable. They never seemed to notice.

He was very worried. It was suspicious at first, finding a strange kid in the middle of the woods with a ratty overworn sweater and some ripped shorts that barely went down to their haunches. Of course, they seemed fairly friendly enough and gradually came along on their party to search for the 'human'. What really worried him were the times that they had zoned out during their walks.

On the cold and drab days that Papyrus had nothing to do (as hard as he tried), he would rally us Frisk and Lion to go on an adventure of sorts. They would always accept, but there was the task of keeping their attention. If Papyrus failed to do so, they would do this… this thing, that was greatly disturbing. The entire group had noticed this too. Their stark amber eyes, in which were usually soft and shone with the brilliance of thousands of stars, became… disturbingly dark. The familiar amber irises would dull and become morbidly glossy, as if they had died or was watching something horrifying or unspeakable. Their pupils would come to a harsh slit, their eyes narrowed as if skeptical or nervous. Their ears would flatten hastily against the back of their head and their tail would weakly limp and drag behind them. Sometimes, it took a few minutes to shake them out of it, while other times, they would fluff up in reaction. And every time that they came to, there was ALWAYS that sheer look of fear and terror that was immediately erased by a solitary blink. A questioning pout and then a neutral look to cover it all up. Not a word was exchanged or gambled.

During those times, Papyrus had wanted to help the kid with whatever it was that caused them to look like that, but after the first few times of zoning out, Lion would immediately catch themselves and they never did it again. They were a smart cat, seeing as how the others had dropped the subject entirely, forgetting that they even did it. But Papyrus… he always remembered.

But what were they thinking of that could make their thoughts so… bleak? More so, what kind of thoughts lurked in her head that made their eyes darken and gloss over? Surely something terrible, right? Something that they wouldn't like nor want to talk about to anyone. Papyrus begrudgingly accepted that. But Lion was a good friend of his. Even after they went missing for a couple days, they still afforded to sneak into town on a few occasions and pass by. Just to let them all know that they were okay. But after a few months, they just disappeared.

Their achievements were quite grand, mapping the main parts of the three central regions, along with building a whole house all by themselves in the course of five days (counting the CORE and the capital). They should've felt accomplished and well enough to remain, but that tablet (he was interested in it too) was just begging to be researched.

Papyrus could feel a single tear, pooling at the edge of his right eye a trace of acknowledgement, the light orange tear flowed gracefully down his cheek bone. No. He couldn't be seen crying, or at least, not in a place like this.

Papyrus gingerly wiped away the multiple tears from his darkened eye sockets, more flooding out at his misgivings of not caring. And he was helpless to stop them as they freely flowed.

He remembered when Lion would purposefully wake up really early in the morning to go on his early morning walks and how they would seem to never be sleeping when anyone was in the vicinity. As a matter of fact, had any of them actually viewed Lion sleeping? Sans wouldn't let him go out alone unless he had a partner who was just as strong. He said that it was dangerous to go alone during the dark times and that anything could happen within the multiverse. So Lion had opted to rise early to go with him, even if he had disturbed their strict sleeping schedule. Funny.

Lion was never cat-like, in a sense. They didn't sleep all day (or at least, that's what Papyrus thought), being up for most of the day and majority of the night. They mostly worked with the shopkeepers, at the pub in the capital, painted pictures, listened to various music genres, read books, and went on walks around the slopes of Snowdin. Those who met them often didn't get to exchange a 'hello' due to the fact that the kid was very fast on their paws. They didn't hate water, and went swimming at normal intervals in the pools of Waterfall. If not, Undyne would sometimes throw her in, only for Lion to grab her by the ankles and pull Undyne in too. They WOULD shake out their fur like a cat, though.

But the most hilarious thing was how they would react when anybody tried to pet them. They would always become heavily flustered and flinch away, or they would quite literally shriek and then cuff the person around the ears. Papyrus had tried this once and found out that you should never try to pet a cat's belly without permission. Papyrus had received a nice dent in his sternum and a huge claw mark on his mandible. Thankfully, Toriel knew healing magic, and all had been repaired before Sans had found out.

To mark it up, they were very sensitive and shy. They were a hermit, and constantly shut themself away from the world, sealed in their own room of orange juice fantasys, and whatever Alphys had introduced to them that they were stuck thinking about. At times, they could make up for her lack of presence with a day of sassy tones and flamboyant side marks, but they hated to be called 'sassy' so it was rare.

It was never too hard to find them, a note always taped to the giant mahogany door telling pursuers of their activities but NEVER listing where they was at the time. Toriel had warned against it, saying that Lion could be hunted down by whatever was killing all those monsters. They took to her warning, constantly leaving little notes and taking their phone everywhere.

She wasn't a very active person though. On days where Papyrus commenced the 'hang outs', Lion would often laze about around the living room, refusing to move after hours of standing still or lying on the couch. Whenever Papyrus protested and asked them to assist him in making spaghetti, they would help, everytime. But for a person who didn't get up and exercise, they were surprisingly strong and sleek. He had watched as they cut down the pines for firewood, their supremely sharp claws deteriorating and ripping apart the bark rapidly before it fell loudly into the fresh snow. He had seen just how much pressure her legs could take, jumping from intimidating heights and landing unaffected on her haunches. Sure, Undyne could jump from a good height, but if she attempted to jump from the ceiling of Snowdin or Waterfall, Undyne would definitely shatter her legs. He had seen Lion use their long tail for the weirdest things, such as carrying huge bundles of twigs, balancing china plates, and even using them to carry cargo for trips to customers in varying regions.

But Papyrus knew that sometimes, he could unintentionally over work a monster. He kept pushing them and pushing them to do more, the bags under their eyes increasing and darkening. But they never complained and worked harder to meet his expectations. They were always there when he needed them to be, with a patient smile and an overly warm set of furred arms to banish the dark thoughts away. That was then, and this was now. Lion was gone. Three years, and not a single 'hello' or 'how diddly do neighborino' to boot.

But things would get better. Eventually.. He would find you, and things would be better than ever. He would hunt you down and do the same for you as you had done for him, in the times when he had night terrors. He would find you and tell you that everything was alright, and that you could come back, and that nobody would hurt you. That everyone wanted you to come back and make the darkness recede. That despite being gone for three whole years, he would keep searching until he finally had you in his grasp. It might take a while, but he would do it. He just had to keep trying. Just keep trying...

It was around the early stages of the fleeting morning, the Hotland caverns always bright with the sinister scarlet light of the bubbling magma that swam beneath their feet. The scent of burning dust and smoke filled the cavern and slowly choked the inhabitants, but Papyrus had no lungs to speak of, so he didn't breathe it in.

Strange. Normally Sans would've noticed his long disappearance by now. Sans was normally gone all the time, busy with fixing the electrical pipes and creating blueprints with Alphys for the new drill. For the last two years, the energy levels of the CORE were slowly lessening, monsters fearing for the outcome. The CORE used geothermal heat and processed it into electricity and power. The power for the Ruins and Snowdin had already been cut, and it wouldn't take long for Waterfall to go, too.

Sans had more bags under his eyes, even more exhausted than usual as the dark brown scars had expressed. And Papyrus couldn't blame him. Even with his own job of being in the Royal Guard, he felt that in some cases, that it was too much for him to handle all at once. He had once thought that being in the royal guard would make him prestigious and popular, and it did. But, not in all the ways that Papyrus had wanted. He resented and despised how the other guards would sometimes pick on him or badmouth how gullible he was behind Sans's back. Even though Papyrus was the taller and (seemingly) stronger brother, there were some things that they didn't sneer at him for when Sans was around. Papyrus was of course glad that they stopped after a fleeting series of self-conventions and reprimanding, but there was something that he could never understand about why some monsters were generally rude.

Monsters weren't the same as they were back ! Even Gerson had an edge to himself nowadays. He wished that things would simply go back to way they were, back three years ago. When things were simple, and friends didn't stray intentionally. But he was shockingly naive and foolish at the times. It helped when they were all enlightened to the events of the decades, and with Sans's confession…

You didn't know a single place in the world that could rival this blistering heat. The clumps of molten rock and fallen debris were sticking to the bottom of your paws, the tendrils of magma slimy and hot as they sneakily crawled up your thighs. You could handle lots of hot things, but magma was not one of them, Mettaton included. It always stuck to the overcoat of your fur and left you feeling stiff and slightly cold for some reason. It also left behind a thick, slimy residue that couldn't be scraped off. However, you had been wading through a shallow lake of it, the slimy stuff reaching up to thighs. It if went any higher, you would've bailed and turned tail. Who knew that magma was like jello? It was a slow descent and it was hard as hell to take one step, as magma is thicker than you would originally think. And you had been wading through it for a couple hours by now.

You gave a hearty sigh, a grimace appearing on your muzzle as a loud squelch from your paw sinking into the magma made you visibly cringe. This was so physically disturbing. This was your seventh hour at treading the lake, your tail getting stuck in it on your fifth hour, slowing you down even more. You were careful not to trip in it, as if you did, the tablet would burn up and you would be stuck in a pit of quicksand. LAVA quicksand. You looked up above you, your eyes slitting against the burning scarlet light.

A huge glass dome sloped downwards just barely missing your ears, its presence annoying and unnecessary. You knew that the Hotland lake was large and deep but jeez! During your first hour of walking, you were positively sure that the dome would crack and fall or that you would suffocate from lack of oxygen. You had been wrong and you had soon gotten over your small and inferior bout of claustrophobia.

You could only see the pool of liquid rock swirling in the bottom, the glass dome preventing it from spilling into the second cavern that you were in. Getting here was an absolute pain in the tail. Having to arrive in Hotland by the pools of Waterfall, soaked and freezing, only to find that finding a secret entrance in here took a lot longer than you had thought. It wasn't a cliche panel or a tunnel into the place. NO, you had to take a path through a given placement in time. It was difficult and imposing, the first time accessing this sacred pocket in time, but the soul fragments helped you get there. You weren't sure how they did, but the fragments seemed to know a lot about physics. They were kind of like a small scientist that lived in your pocket. Literally.

In the end, a forlorn white door had opened up in one of the lone corridor of Waterfall. It was a cool gray tone, the doorknob being a bright silver. You had skeptically turned the handle, coming face-to-face with a shallow bed of magma. But not before solving a fuck ton of meaningless puzzles and dealing with a shadowy fussy customer.

To assure you that you were on the right track, your SOULs had began to pull on you, leading you towards the end of the seemingly nonexistent horizon.

Ugh. Finally. You had made it across. That took forever. You ripped your tail out of the magma, noticing that the lake of molten rock acted like a strong lint roller of sorts. A couple patches of fur were missing from her legs and your tail. Great.

You had three choices and three paths to take: one to the north, one to the left, and one to the right. The one to the north was relatively quiet, except for the small growls of the darkness. You had grown used to these, instinctively deploying your flame magic in your paws. The left and right however… um… let's just say you were filled with discomfort just by listening to the two. Both were filled with the sounds of erotic moaning, and the sound of skin-on-skin. BOTH OF THEM. There was also the sounds of snuffling and loud chewing, a loud rip splitting the air. There was then the sound of something… retching…? The sounds were loud and became louder and more grotesque by the minute. What the fuck was going on in there? The shit you had to put up with sometimes.

You smartly took the north path and hurried upon it too, because the two side paths were a big bag of nope.

The north path was lined with boulders and pebbles, each having something carved into it. Strange. They were lined neatly, as if it had been a path, or a riverbed. The path led to a huge cavern, the air hot and stale with steam and static. You could faintly hear something sizzling, and the sound of a low wailing. Probably the other rooms. Nonetheless, you looked towards it and backed up quickly, your right ear twitching in fear. And then you smelt it. Oh lordy. The scent of rotting flesh.

There was a body over in the corner, the owner clutching their knees. Their tattered skin was a disturbing pale green, some chunks of flesh hanging while most were flaked off and scattered around them. There was crusted blood all over them, and thick scars dotted their skin. All of their hair was gone, and their face was just… the eyes were sunken much too deep, the irises dull and lifeless. The nose had been ripped off, the scabbing bits of cartilage very visible from here. The mouth had been badly altered, the jaws unhinged and the teeth and tongue, missing. The arms of the thing were small and deformed, barely reaching around its belly. The legs were so small and so fragile-looking that there was almost no way that they could get up. Its' stomach pulsed, the stretch of skin looking to be badly burned. You were absolutely terrified, your ears flattened against your head.

You turned around to leave but the doors were locked. Fuck. You turned back towards the decrepit body, discovering it to be gone. You backed up suddenly, your eyes slitted harshly. You suddenly stepped into something… Before you could move a muscle, a small arm was cast around your neck, its grip tight and strong. You instantly deployed your fire magic again, the sizzling embers causing the thing to retreat.

It certainly wasn't what you were expecting that made it all the more terrifying. It let out a thunderous screech, the thing grabbing at its head. It began to writhe violently on the ground, its calloused hands ripping off the totting skin from its skull. You could just barely see the white from inside the rotting flesh. And with a mighty jerk, it fell still.

Only for you to discover that it wasn't dead. No, not at all. A massive form burst forward from the remains of the body, thoroughly ripping it to pieces. It was HUGE in size, the beast looking be half the size of the CORE. Well today was not your day, huh?

It had the ringed body of a worm, with feathers and scales scattered about on its back. The sharp scales pointed upwards, bits of rotting flesh dangling on the sharp tips. It didn't have eye sockets or anything. Just a mouth with multiple rows of jagged teeth. As it screeched again, a massive pool of blood spilled onto the floor, a few chunks of matter flopping onto the floor . Three pairs of pincers formed at the opening of its mouth, each being large and dripping with sizzling venom. It had a large, hooked stinger and thousands of legs, resembling a mutated, yet strong breed of millipede. You were morally terrified of those things.

You threw out your right arm fearfully, summoning Delarose from the depths of your magic immediately. This was another case in itself. She glanced at you, the vivid flames of her body flickering navy for a split second. You nodded quickly and she kicked it into gear, taking off around the left side of the cavern and lunging at the beast. You had enough magical energy to make another head minion. This one, you referred to him as Hunter, was a killing machine. His body was made of the hottest blue and white flames, the magma, nothing compared to him. He was more than aggressive and could do major damage on the battlefield. He just couldn't take as many hits as Delarose could.

You threw Hunter out into the fray, an ear-piercing caterwaul ripping through the air. He took off around the right side of the cavern, ready to rip and tear anything in his way into shreds. Delarose had gotten to the beast first, she ducked the thrust of the beast's pincers, running her large claws over the beast's side. It cried out in agony, a purple slime bubbling out from the wound. Hunter followed suit, clawing the beast's other side. More purple slime issued from the beast's body, its cries deafening.

The beast was bleeding out way too much. Looks like you were worried over nothing. The beast gave a hearty lurch, its head falling onto the ground in defeat. Delarose and Hunter went back into your SOULs, a loving pat on the muzzle before sending them back.

The beast had crumpled into a large pile of dust, and with it, the scent of rotting flesh had immediately disappeared. You breathed an audible sigh of relief, your heart failing to still itself.

In the middle of the clearing lay a piece of something small. It glowed with such an intensity, that you had to shield your eyes to keep from being blinded. It was a soul fragment. The piece happily floated over to you, floating in your space as if needing consent to join you. You quickly took out the stone tablet, the soul fragment settling in nicely with the other two. It glowed once more, but then stopped, pulsing gently with the other pieces in sync.

That was it then. You'd found the three soul fragments. What now?

Suddenly, a dark gray door opened up in front of you, much like the one in Waterfall. It had a sinister kind of light coming from underneath it, the beam flaring and dimming with sporadic intervals. There was a silver lock in the door handle, a bead of sweat rolling down your chin. With only one key missing. You eyed the golden key on the tablet, your heart beating faster and faster. Was this it? Was this what all of your hard work led to? As you stepped forward, your heart beat faster and faster until you reached the door. You lifted the key, slowly fitting the key into the lock. IT FIT...


	25. Finding Gaster

An Old Friend

You'd walked through the pale white door, nervously placing your clammy paws over the silver knob. You uttered a deep breath and turned the knob, the door swinging forth with an echoing screech. It finally swung open, and as it faded seamlessly behind you, you could no longer feel the sweltering heat of Hotland on your back. It was now just you and the empty expanse of the void. It was quiet. Too quiet. You were stuck in the eternal darkness, shuddering when you spotted a tall silhouette coming your way.

A lanky and slender figure came rushing towards you in an excited blur, his presence familiar and nostalgic. It was your old buddy black, the one who used to speak to you in your dreams about the meaning of the tablet. He was definitely more solid than the previous meetings, no oozing trails of slime or anything.

As he approached you swiftly, you could see that he wasn't even blurry anymore. With his newfound graphics, you could easily make out that he was a skeleton. He had two spreading cracks running up and down his head to connect with his eye sockets and his skull sutures. His right eye socket was a bit quirky and sagged much more than the other. His skeletal hands had perfect circles cut right out of them. But even with his newfound details, his lanky body was still black and featureless. You did however, find that he was dressed in a white turtleneck and a black lab coat, with black slacks and dress shoes. He looked to be very professional and he appeared to be very happy.

As he neared you, he flashed you a brilliant grin and wrung your hands. The pinpricks of light in his eyes turned a pale shade of yellow and a smidgen of purple.

"You have done so well, these past years, Lion. I am overjoyed that you have managed to overcome all of the obstacles and trials that laid in your path and that you have made it here safe and sound. Despite how much you have done, and how grand your achievements are… er.. I need you to do one thing for me, my dear." Black was sweating, his hands stuck firmly in the pockets of his lab coat. He seemed to be fidgeting in your presence.

"What kind of thing?" You questioned cautiously. He flinched and met your gaze, a sinister and almost hellish glint to his eyes. Your mother shared this same look, something insidious following directly. You were prepared.

"I need you to listen closely, as your judgement shall decide my own fate."

"Wait. What do you mean by that? I certainly don't own your life, nor do I want to." Black appeared to ease up, his fidgeting lessening to the point where he merely played with his hands. You listened closely.

"You see, when I was still alive, I was the Royal Scientist for the Underground. I had worked ceaselessly to create and develop the power of the human SOULs that were given to me from the king. As you should know, us monsters needed the power of seven human SOULs to successfully counter and destroy the barrier. It was the true goal of the monster kingdom and our monarchs." Black stopped to take a breath, his pinpricks of light staring at yours harshly.

" As every human fell down, adult or not, our king or our royal guard would intercept and destroy the children, ripping their SOULs from their chest. Once upon a time, we wouldn't have cared if the SOUL was pure or not. But when we had tried to use seven, it had failed. We had to use the SOULs of children instead. Or at least, that was what our king thought. With time, we came to kill seven more humans, this time the possessors being children. We measured up the same equipment to reap their SOULs and turn them into power. I assure you that it was not a pretty job, but it fueled the monster's hopes and dreams for the freedom that lurked just out of reach." Black stopped to take another breath, you chuckling as he clutched wearily at his chest. He plowed on.

"It was late around the time of harvesting the fifth SOUL that I began to slip up in my work. My assistant was no longer with me during the time, saying that the whole trade was sinister. After a fiasco in the CORE and a deputy royal scientist lost, I had given the title to the younger deputy, Alphys. It was after a long night of maintaining the CORE when I'd made a mistake with the last SOUL value we had: PERSEVERANCE. And as I tried to fix my mistakes, the other scientists around me had started to be more and more unsatisfied with my actions and with my results. It had became strongly apparent, as the day it was tested and was perfected, I had slipped again. But only this time, the effects were much worse. There had been secret testings with the SOUL concentrations, as I was such a candidate for such gruesome things."

"My colleagues had trapped me at the end of the day, and what was to be expected from a duel that featured four against one. I would have fought back, but I had used up most of my magic for the grand project that some of the SOUL concentrate had featured. It was left to whoever had found it. After I had been defeated, I was injected with my own creation. My fragile SOUL was not able to handle the lethal dosage of PERSEVERANCE and it shattered into pieces. But I didn't die for a strange reason." He seemed to look downwards at the floor of the void, a mournful grimace on his face.

"Instead, my pieces flew across the borders of space and time, trapping me in the void forever. I've no idea why this circumstance has happened, and I only know that there has been an interruption with time that caused this glitch to happen. Only three of the pieces got stuck here but those scraps alone are enough."

"So you got trapped here because of a time anomaly. I'm guessing that the glitch happened at the precise moment that you died, explaining the context? Even so, I'm not quite sure of what this has to do with me. Is that narcissistic of me? Surely, anybody could've done it. Well. Not everybody, but you know what I mean. A boss monster could've easily stepped into my shoes. If it's been that long, then surely you could've taken on somebody else." You were very willing to help him, whatever the case. You wondered exactly how long has this guy has been in here, trapped in the void. Poor guy.

"Alright, I'll cut to the chase. And no, it's fine. The only reason that nobody was called upon was because no monster was entirely willing to throw themselves off of a cliff and into a sea of magma. I called you forward because you have a certain specialty that no other monster has. Something that makes you more adept at the challenge."

"You mean, my SOULs? Wait. Were you trying to use me for my SOULs? Is that it?"

"No. I merely found that your extra SOUL would be quite an advantage over the monsters who didn't have one. You could use your human SOUL if you were in a tight spot. But that wasn't what I was hinting at. No, I was hinting at your lives child. Specifically counting that you are not on your last." He muttered quietly.

"Oh. Sorry, but when I first came down here, I had a fear that monsters would rip out my human SOUL and use it. Guess that the fear never went away, huh? So what about my nine lives? What makes it interesting?" You fought hard to keep your burning amber eyes level with his, an agitated red gleam in his eyes.

"As if you don't know! There is a reason that your escapades out of death's territory will come in handy. In the beginning of Hotland, there is a lab that is concealed under a fake one. You probably know this certain fake lab as Alphy's lab, do you not?"

"Yeah. Alphys and I used to do cosplay there. Well, she and Undyne did cosplay. I judged the costumes." As Gaster winced and made a crude joke about anime, you chuckled and hitched your paws in the pockets of your shorts. Good times. You distinctly remembered the polished lab you had come across when you first came to Hotland. You remembered your uncles, Red and Blue, and wondered if they were still working there.

"Seeing as how you know your way through it, I should let you go by yourself. But then again, you haven't exactly seen the lab underneath it. I used to work in the real lab, but I have the feeling that they closed it when I died. A bad reputation can kill. I'll guide you through the old lab myself once you get there. Just follow the tug of your SOUL." You trusted Gaster. He just wanted to live again. Was that such a bad thing?

"Now, it's time to wake up. Make sure to wait for further instructions."

"Yes sir!"

In the unforgiving winter of the third year, two new children fell down into the Ruins. One was a short and stocky girl with long dirty blonde hair pushed into a sleek ponytail. Her light brown eyes sparkled with mischief and familiarity. Her name was Franny. Her twin, his name was Trevor, was just as mischievous and loved to play pranks on people. Franny had a pure soul of JUSTICE, while Trevor had a pure soul of INTEGRITY. So far, the two had agreed to the terms of the monsters. Franny was ten and Trevor was thirteen. Now, the only SOUL they needed would be the pure concentration of PERSEVERANCE. They were so close to freedom.

And they'd be free…

They blindly shook the long curtains of auburn hair out of her face. Ruby red eyes gleamed outwards from the shadowed pale face, a dull frown playing on her features. With a loud grunt, Chara pushed themselves off the floor, finding themselves kneeling in a bed of withering buttercups. The stalks were raised precariously, as if a single drop of dew might make them keel over.

Chara gently ran her fingers underneath the buttercup petals, ripping it from its home in the grass. With heavy lidded eyes, Chara plucked off the petals and stared skywards. It appeared to be daytime, a weak ray of sunlight bursting through the gap of overgrown ivy and bramble.

"Back again, huh?" Chara stumbled towards the entrance of the Ruins, sighing deeply when they had arrived in the doorway to the grassy chamber. Just as they'd thought. Asri- no. Flowey was nowhere to be found, the untrimmed grass blossoming with dandelions and wildflowers. Chara angrily kicked their way through them, the curtain of grass parting as they continued in their rampage.

"Who would've thought that it could've gotten this bad? Toriel usually stays behind… I wonder where she is now?" Chara lazily meandered over the spike bridge, their bright sweater teeming with dust. But it was the dust from monsters who had lived centuries ago. Chara seemed to notice this and angrily shed their sweater, casting it into the river. Only bad memories lived in that sweater.

It seemed that their reality was impaired. Weakened if you will. Just a couple of hours ago, they had been choking on their own blood, Sans grinning triumphantly as Papyrus's maroon sweater waved in the wind. Now, they were back here. Chara had been in places like this before. In timelines like this before. They were strolling along the leftover carnage of Frisk's rampage. What did they do this time that caused the Ruins to remain?

Would Chara they stumble upon Toriel's dust near Snowdin? Chara guessed that within a set second, they would be used as a scapegoat, and that Frisk was probably going to fight Sans. Just like always. Chara kicked a spare rock, their red eyes gleaming with hatred and rage. It had been like this for centuries. Frisk would come and go, sometimes playing the pacifist and sometimes sticking with the genocidal route. Chara only wanted the best of the monsters, and had tutored Frisk ONCE. Chara had showed Frisk the ways of the Underground and what did they do?

The first time was fine, but then they came back. Sad to end it all, Chara figured. That was not the case. After playing the pacifist route a couple of times, Frisk begun to take a more… sinister path. Chara was absolutely livid when Frisk had killed Whimsun. Afterwards, Frisk had been good. It was water under the bridge for a while. That it, until things began to become repetitive. Live, kill, die, reset. That was the only thing that Chara knew nowadays. Whenever things became too hot to handle, Frisk would play the innocent saint and blame it on Chara "possessing" them to do bad things.

After that, Chara stopped helping them. But it was absolutely pointless. Even without Chara's help, Frisk would use Flowey's narcissistic advice instead. One thing would lead to another and Chara would be killed.

Funny, seeing as how the golden interior of Judgement Hall always used to fascinate them. Asriel would always take walks through there too. Poor Asriel. He was just another pawn in this sick game.

Even though the feat wasn't plausible, Chara considered wiping their existence from the universe, but failed. Why couldn't they have ended up like Gaster? He didn't have to go through this every couple of days!

Chara had made it to Toriel's house, a grim reminder of the castle. How could Toriel leave Asgore after that untimely demise? Who really knew? All Chara knew was that there was truly no point of existing, seeing as how it would end with a sharp bone impaling them through the heart...


	26. A Cure For Their Wounds

The Door

For the monsters things were getting slightly better. The deaths had stopped completely in Hotland, all of the roaming citizens had finished moving in, there was more space in Waterfall, and there was an endless amount of jobs to do.

Sans and Alphys were ordered by Asgore to recruit assistants to aid them with their giant research project. It was aggravating and asinine to believe that the monsters were up to their hopes, as some helpers were smart, while others played around by licking doorknobs. Needless to say, they were fired. Alphys had been collecting the aluminum and titanium parts for the new L50CC2 Megaton Drill, in which Sans had fully developed the blueprints for the machine. If this worked, the metal drill would burrow deep into the earth and draw heat from the mantel of the Earth. It sounds extremely crazy but it was logical only to those who could understand.

Now, all they had to do was hire some monsters (competent ones ) who would help put the damn thing together. And that would take a long time too in itself. To tell the truth, the magma lake was already starting to dry up. Just the other day, Alphys had reported to the king that the lake's elevation level had dropped a drastic amount. To her surprise, a heavy buildup of dried lava was crusting on the edges of the lake. She expected it to be at the bottom, not at the top!

They needed to work fast, or else the entire underground would plummet into darkness for years on end. But that would take a while, and it wouldn't happen for another couple years or so. At least, that's what they hoped to accomplish before the end. They only had so much land to work with. After all, Snowdin had ceased to be habitable and the Ruins had been completely abandoned ages ago. Only Waterfall, Hotland, and the Capital remain now.

What will happen if Waterfall collapses? There's not enough room in Hotland for all of the monsters to fit... And all the monsters who can't stand the blistering heat would have to either stay behind and risk death, or go to Hotland anyway and die from lack of water. One could only hope that things would get better.

The journey to the lab had been long and treacherous, the heat serving a grim reminder that heat was not your friend. After all, it had been a long couple of weeks since you had found the last piece of Black's SOUL. Time goes by much faster in the void. What was his name anyway? But the cracked shards had refused to re-fuse, staying in their own individual pieces until further notice.

Frankly, you had just wanted to rest your weary eyes, but Black had such invigoration and such excitement that you had forced yourself to stay awake.

You wanted enough time to figure out your whole situation, and wanted enough time to figure out what to do next. Black had assured you that he had already told you what you were gonna do next, but refused to tell you, saying that he would tell you when the time was right. Sigh.

As of now, you were lingering around the shadows of Waterfall, your bright amber eyes gleaming intensely with apprehension and fear. After last time, it was only something that an idiot would do, I know. You knew you weren't supposed to be there, but you needed something something from here. Something that could help you on your journey. And your SOULs happened to lead you through the caverns, the pulse stopping at an old statue in a forlorn hallway. It was a giant slate statue and had long tendrils of bramble and ivy snaking over its chest. Small hasty cracks ran along the base of it, and there were some minor holes in it too. You could see that a fair amount of water had gotten inside of it.

You looked at the old beaten umbrella that the statue held in its hand. The same one you had left for the statue three years ago. Seems like it's been forever, huh? It was ripped and sliced apart, the rain pouring through in small blips. You took away the ratty umbrella, and gave them something else that would protect them more than a beaten umbrella. Even if it was fairly new.

You unzipped your blood red jacket, this one being conveniently waterproof and over sized. Even though it was very cold in Waterfall, you could handle getting soaked a couple of times. You stepped closer to the slate statue, taking out your precious tablet before draping your jacket over the statue. The water began to bounce back towards you, the statue beginning to dry from the lack of water. The tiny droplets of icy water nested in your ear fur, the urge to shake yourself off becoming more and more intense. And then it began to play a beautiful tune, the melody being melancholy and tranquil at the same time. Your SOULs began to pulse to the rhythm of the song. You absentmindedly hummed along with the tune, swaying on your paws along with the tempo. It was soothing and it was the only thing that was worth remembering.

To you, it was morbid and disturbing to think about anything anymore. The imminent darkness had taken shelter inside your thoughts, the innocent specks of happiness flickering candle in a snowstorm.

You could only remember the bad things, and those had to do with your past, the present, and the chilling sounds that you would hear everyday in your head. The things that would keep you awake at night in fear, sharp raps on the door and frantic scratching on the windows, as if somebody was trying to get in. The dark corners and hallways would forewarn you of a panic attack to come, and you swiftly avoided certain parts of your house because of it.

You would remember the vast pile of rotting monster bodies in the depths of the tunnels, the crimson blood festering on your paws as Undyne had struck you down, the bile and blood in your throat as Sans had killed you, the loss of breath and the crack of your ribs as Asgore had impaled you, the feeling of flesh being torn with jagged teeth, the hearty snap of multiple bones crunching, the sound of your body colliding with the floor of the gorge, the nine-headed beast cackling in all of its sadistic glory, the snake beast from Hotland bursting forth from its host's body and screeching at you, the glittering dust in the elevator, the cries of the forgotten innocent, the dusty rag, the gory bodies in the darkness of Snowdin, your recurring paranoia, and the feeling of thick dust on your skin. It was enough to make anybody go insane.

The fact that you couldn't even look at your old acquaintances without your brain kicking into overdrive was… well…. Irritating and frightening. Everytime you had spotted an old friend or acquaintance, your brain would startle you in the worst possible way. The figure would appear to be within a foot of you, and much more dangerous, a loud and eerie static filling your head with fear and causing your heart to race. It only helped to fuel the fire that was your incessant paranoia.

One minute you would be fine, and in the next minute, a thunderous amber alert would go off in your head and scare the dickens out of you. So much, that you had to cover your head and slow your breathing, so that you wouldn't have an aneurysm. The hellish sound haunted you in the dark, having you constantly check your surroundings for anything suspicious that might spike your fear. Your fear was running rampant these days, triggers in every innuendo and crevice. But there was nothing you could do about it, so you opted to master it.

You ha only came back to listen to the melody once or twice, hoping that it could chase away your fears and bring back your nonchalant shell. It didn't. You gave a melancholic sigh, turning on your heels to go towards Hotland. You had mastered the art of being undetected, your long claws silent against the cold floors. You could blend into the darkness with ease, appearing nonexistent to the normal eye. It was easier to get around when there were no monsters around, but luck wasn't on your side today.

You had to pass by the main Waterfall civilization, staying in the shadows and being as sneaky as possible. The loud sounds of other monster's conversations had drowned out the dark thoughts in your head. From up here, the civilization was still huge. Houses were built on the bright teal waters, small wooden bridges connecting them to one another. Monsters busily walked to and fro with their children, with obvious places to be. You were walking along a precarious ledge in the cavern walls, high up above the city. Unless someone was looking at you with a telescope, they wouldn't see you up here.

It had started to rain earlier, each wave coming down in a steady downpour. You were surprised that Waterfall wasn't flooded, but then remembered that dead civilization underneath the city. You were getting absolutely soaked out here, your only means of protection being the jacket that you had given to that musical statue. As of now, you were clad in an overly large white shirt, with mid-thigh black shorts. The end of the civilization was in sight. Almost there...

You were almost at the gateway of Hotland when Black had began to lead you, his hoarse voice whispering to you from the back of your head. It was almost as if he was behind you. Funny, how he spoke through your mind.

" _Lion? Can you hear me? It's me, Gaster."_

"Yo. So that's what your name is..."

" _Okay. You can hear me. You're at the entrance of Hotland, correct?"_

"Yup."

" _Okay. Go to the four-way junction right before the lab. The people in the lab constantly watch the cameras for intruders or solicitors. You'll need to stay in the shadows until further notice. Got it?"_

"Got it." You knew what shadows he meant, as there were no shadows in Hotland. You threw your legs over the cliff, hooking on with your claws. Moving sideways, you stuck near the bottom-most layer of rocks, out of sight of any passerby.

" _Okay. The lab has a set of camera men who watch the perimeter of the lab. It's going to be hard, but we have to deactivate all the cameras at once. But only on one side."_

"So how would I go about doing that, G?"

" _I'll be on the lookout. I need you to move up to the highest layer of rock, but out of camera sight. Understand?"_

"Yep." You hauled yourself upwards on the cliff wall, the top of your head just below the cliff.

" _Okay. Look at the lab for a bit. The cameras are turned away."_ You hesitantly peered over the edge of the cliff, your amber eyes locking onto the lab. It had three separate cameras, one on the left, one near the door, and one to the right.

" _When I say go, you'll need to melt the cameras in a certain order. You'll need to move quickly. Once the first camera is down, they'll come running. If you can, get through the door, and if you can't, take out the guards with as much force as necessary. But no flashy explosions. Take out anybody inside and make sure nobody sets off any alarms. Heavens forbid, we don't need that. Got it?"_

"Yep." With that, you hid back under the cliff, your hind claws closer to your belly. You were ready. Any second now.

" _Go!"_ You pushed off with your hind claws, landing on the heated path right away. You leapt forward, encasing the right camera in flames. Then the next, and the other one. The lab doors had suddenly opened, a loud alarm sounding off. Two heavily armored guards came out, large regiswords at the ready. You sleekly slipped in and shut the large metal doors behind you. With a smirk, you ran your claws across the dashboard, cutting the wires and shutting off the light inside. There was nobody in here.

" _Alright. Ignore the large desk of fandom merchandise and pick up the white and blue key card on the it. That will open the elevator to the lab. Then, head for the door next to it."_ You ignored the desk filled with cat stuff and pick up the bicolored key card. It glowed in your paws, your fur slowly warming. You then head towards the door next to it. Hey! You remember this door! The one with the strange lizard panel next it!

" _Stick the card into the panel."_ A large slit opened up beneath the panel. From behind you, furious banging ensued from the door to the left. Heh. You inserted the card into the slot, the metal door shaking and sliding away to reveal an elevator. You quickly clambered inside and the door closed behind you. You moved to press a button but paused. There was only one button there, the floor labeled as "true lab". You pushed in the button, the elevator rumbling to life as it began to move down the shaft. No elevator music or nothing.

The elevator soon came to a complete stop at the bottom, the metal doors automatically clicking open. With an audible shutter the elevator lights shut off, the button for the lab above blinking with red light. You stepped out into the darkness, your long claws clicking on the tiles. A low groan came from the other room, the tapping of multiple claws on the wall.

"Should I be worried about that?"

" _Do not worry about them. Those are the amalgamates. They only wish to be fed. You do have some gold, right?"_

"Yeah?"

" _Go down these two hallways. You'll find a vending machine near the generator. Buy some potato chisps. That'll hold them off until later."_ Welp. You set off down the hallway, the clicks on the wall fading into the background. You could hear the air conditioner, wheezing in frail attempts to chill the air. Nope. It was pretty hot down here.

Gaster was right. There was a large vending machine, filled to the brim with the crunchy snacks. You got two bags, family-size style. You took salt and vinegar for yourself and cheddar for the amalgamates.

" _Seriously? Snacking in a place like this?"_ Gaster chided angrily.

"Dude. I haven't eaten in a couple of days. Spare me a few chisps." You ripped open the salt and vinegar bag, the bitter scent wafting out with a tantalizing odor. You began to snack as you walked, taking the time to pop a few in your mouth. Salty.

" _Alright, now go to the right."_ You turned down the hallway, coming into a room with numerous beds.

"Why are there so many beds?"

" _They're for the amalgamates. Go straight. Not into the room with the flowers."_

"I see." You popped another chisp into your mouth. You savored the taste, as bitter things were your favorite. You then came to a hallway. One path to the left, and one path to the right.

" _Go to the left."_ You walked forward, eyeing the rooms as you passed. You spotted a room with a shower inside. Gaster seemed to already know what you were gonna ask.

" _We used that room to sterilize ourselves. Bacteria is a nuisance."_

"Okay. I was about to ask what kind, but you beat me to the punch." Gaster just stared at you within your mind. You shrugged. What? You were just curious! You soon came to a room with a large machine hooked up in the middle of the room. It was shaped like a skull of sorts, its eye sockets like endless voids. It reminded you of the dead citizens of the city underneath Waterfall. The skulls looked very similar.

" _Go over to the machine in the corner."_ There was a utility cart over in the corner, a large machine sitting on the top. It was off as of now. It had tons of buttons and wires attached to it, and three levers for something else. You padded slowly over to it, setting down your goods on the floor. Don't worry taste buds. You'll have your fun. Later.

" _Turn the dial in the upper-right corner and pull the middle lever."_ You did as he said, pulling and pushing the switches in the right order. The skull in the room had started to light up, the eye sockets filtering out a bright white light. The room began to crackle with magic energy, the hairs on your body standing at attention.

" _Put the soul fragments into the middle indent. They'll fit this time."_ You weren't sure if this would really work but you would give it a try. The noise was deafening, you having to hold an arm over your ears to keep from going deaf. You pulled out the tablet from the pocket of your shorts. The soul fragments glowed a dazzling white as they popped out from the hold of the tablet. They began to attract each other, the first piece clicking with the second piece which clicked with the third. They created a cracked version of a monster soul. It began to spark with magic power, the bits beginning to come apart. You took away your arm, using both to push the pieces of the SOUL together. With a firm shove, you fitted the soul fragments into the indent. The machine began to smoke and whistle, giving the room much more noise than normal. You backed away, leaving the chisps to defend themselves. Quiet.

A dense quiet had filled the air, followed by the light engulfing you in its grasp. It was so very hot. You could feel your SOULs being ripped from their place in your chest. They had stopped pulsing, and instead, glowed with the same intensity as the light in the room. You felt yourself cry out for help. And a warm hand wrapped itself around your own, answering your call.

And then, darkness had ensued.

Why were you here? Oh wait. That's right. You had agreed with Gaster that you would sacrifice one of your lives to resurrect him. You felt a small grin form on your muzzle as the familiar arch of golden light had appeared, the numbers 1-4 floating above. You watched as the hand moved towards the three. The number four trembled and shattered, the pieces flying away into the void. As there was nothing left to fix, the tolling bell filled the silence, its peaceful sound was soothing to listen to. Your ears ached, your eyes burned, and your body was sore. But you did the right thing.

The darkness soon faded out of sight, and the familiar floor of Waterfall had appeared before you. You sat huddled in the middle of a corridor. It felt like you had been sitting here for quite a long time. The tablet was gone for your possession. Probably left in the true lab, or it had disintegrated with the intense light. Either way, you were done with that thing.

You hauled yourself to your paws, your stance unsteady and your legs weak. You put your paws on the wall to steady yourself, catching a glint of silver light on the floor. On the ground sat a huge white key. It was as big as your paw.

You stooped to pick it up, stopping as you heard something appear in front of you. You looked up, only to see a large white door in the wall. That wasn't there before. You barely remembered this door, bits of Hotland swimming before your eyes. You shook your head, your ears flapping around wildly. The door had a silver lock, the key slot being much bigger than average. You eyed the starkwhite key in your paws. You approached the door slowly, and fit the key in the lock. The door swung open. You took a breath and stepped in.

Weird. You weren't in the void like you had expected, but instead, had stepped into a lab room of sorts. Everything was white and had been polished nicely. Test tubes and vials littered the counters, empty and clean. It smelled of acid and blood inside.

"Ah! There you are! I was wondering when you'd get here!" You turned around to face the voice. It was Gaster. Hot damn. He looked entirely different than before. His face had remained the same, cracked and all. But this time, he actually had a body. He wore a long black lab coat with a white turtleneck underneath. He also wore black slacks with a goober-looking pair of dress shoes to match. The same as before, but when he was a blurry mess, he was your hight. Now, he towered a full two feet above you.

He was currently scrambling about at a large desk, a pile of something white draped across his shoulders. He looked extremely excited about something, the lights in his eye sockets sparking with yellow light. Heh.

You leaned against a polished counter, watching him as he went about. He then stopped in front of you, holding something out to you. It was a white lab coat with a pair of thick-framed glasses.

"I'm going to need your help with something. I hope that you don't mind."

"I see that, but… what's with the glasses?" You gently took the items from Gaster, your head clearing up slightly.

"I saw what you saw whenever I had to lead you somewhere, and frankly, your eyesight is terrible. You should've gone back for your glasses when they had burned in Hotland. While you were out, I managed to make you a pair of new glasses in the meantime, so that everything wouldn't seem so blurry." It was true. You were near-sighted and often had to use more eye power than necessary to see further than you normally could. While Alphys had made your previous pair, these were much better.

You tried on the nice white lab coat. It was really big, and dragged on the floor ever so slightly. The sleeves went down to your knees and sagged with every gesture. You didn't mind. It was cozy.

"You might want to roll up your sleeves as we have work to do."

"Okay. Speaking of which, where are we?" You rolled up the sleeves of your lab coat, watching as Gaster rummaged through the cabinets.

"We're in a tiny pocket of space time. It's only accessible by having a key to this room, but you and I are the only ones that can get in here. Don't give anybody the key." You tried on the glasses and immediately brightened. Everything became much clearer and pronounced. Much better.

"Ready?"

"Yup!"

This was the fourth year since Lion had went missing. Another child had fallen, the last one having the only SOUL attribute of PERSEVERANCE. She had curly red hair and bright green eyes. She had called herself Marilyn, but refrained from sharing her last name. It had taken a long while for her to agree with the terms of the monster system, but she still had yet to befriend all the monsters. The other children had, and with that, the monsters could soon go free. The only problem was something that they didn't expect: a sickness.

All of the children had caught a strange sickness that couldn't be explained. The symptoms included hallucinations, coughing, a high fever, trouble breathing, and the inability to get up. Thus, Toriel and Asgore were stuck at home taking care of them, none of the children perishing from it. Alphys and Sans couldn't find a cure, not to mention that the sickness only affected humans. They had no leverage to go off on as none of them knew what a human comprised of. They could've asked Lion, but she was gone. Long gone.

Where were they? To tell the truth, they weren't so optimistic about her return nowadays. Papyrus still hadn't given up and Sue was still eager to reunite with his friend, but that would have to wait until he was better.

"Prepare the extract and stir the solution!"

"Already on it!" You had been working with Gaster for a whole year now, helping him create a variety of things. The one thing you were working on as of now was the cure for the strange human sickness. Word had gotten out that the humans had gotten sick with a strange illness that monsters couldn't catch. You weren't sure if you could catch it, but you rarely ever got sick so there was nothing to worry about. Gaster had mentioned the symptoms to you, but he didn't know what they did to the human body. You had to tell him instead.

Combining your knowledge together, you set to work on making a cure for the illness. It was almost done. But, with every good thing comes a bad thing. It had yet to be tested, but you couldn't just abduct one of the children.

Alas, you had to be the one to use it on the sick children.

Gaster had put it simply, that you had to go directly to the children and administer them with the shots. There were seven different cures, one for each soul attribute. Each syringe was filled with the cure, labeled with who was getting it. The only problem now was conquering your fears, and finding the others. You were extremely nervous, but even with that so, Gaster had reassured you that you were safe and that if anything were to happen to you, he would exact his revenge. Okay.

You stored the large syringes in your pearly white lab coat, separate pockets for each of them. With a click of the lock, you stepped back out into Waterfall. The cold breeze ruffled your hair and made you shudder with apprehension. The door had suddenly disappeared behind you. Welp. No going back now.

You had been walking for about half an hour before you found it. A large building near tem village, similar in construction to Grillbys. It even had the logo on the top. The same bear monster stood in front of the entrance, sparing you a skeptic look, but letting you pass. You stepped into the bar. The warm air seeped into your clothing, comforting and tranquil to your heavy nerves. Nobody seemed to notice you as you made your way to the polished bar. If Grillby was here, he would know where the others are. You stopped at the bar, and sat, waiting. You had soon caught his eye, and you waved him over. He looked mildly confused. You could make out that his scarlet and orange flames were crackling more vivdly.

"It's been four years since I've last seen you, Lion. What are you doing here?" His voice was low and raspy, crackling with the embers of his fire.

"Do you know where the others are? I need to find them." He raised a fiery eyebrow.

"For what reason?"

"Private business. It involves a whip and some chlorine."

"Um… Do you want me to call Sans?" You froze up for a second, fear filling you with apprehension. You hesitantly nodded and Grillby stepped away, picking up a phone on the far away counter. You were trembling in your seat.

It wasn't long before you felt a heavy hand land on your shoulder. The static came back, this time at full force. You slowly turned to face him, your ears flattened against your head. Grillby was tending to another customer, but you could tell that he was listening.

"heya. grillby said you wanted to talk to me? but i'm wondering why? last time we found you, you nearly killed us. why now?" Sans was staring at you now, the lights in his sockets dim.

"I-I did want t-to talk to you. I-I mean.. I need t-to ask you if you c-could help me w-with a certain task." You were trembling severly, but you couldn't help it. You were terrified of him, despite how you held him off in your last battle. Every inch of your body screamed for you to run away, but now was not the time for that.

"woah. chill out, kit. i ain't gonna hurt you." You gave a low hesitant chuckle. You could barely meet his eyes, flinching when he forced you to look at him.

"I-If only I could believe that. I-It's not like I-I hate you guys o-or anything, but from the r-reminders of our last e-encounters, it's not exactly a… a happy reminder."

"alright. come on." You shakily got up from your stool, following Sans out the door. He made sure to hook his right arm with your left one, just so that you couldn't get away.

"so what's with that lab coat? you smell like acid."

"U-umm. New fashion sense? Look. I need to find Toriel… I-I heard about the kids getting sick, s-so my buddy and I got to thinking..."

"who's this buddy?"

"L-Let's just say, you'll thank me later." The two of you began to walk through Waterfall. Sans kept eyeing you, your shaky steps causing you to fidget and sweat.

"ya know, it's been quite a while since we've seen you around. how old are you by the way?"

"E-Eighteen." Sans let out a low whistle. Yeah. It had been a while, huh?

"so what have you been up to since then?"

"W-Well, It took three years but I solved the puzzle of that old tablet and explored the bowels of the Underground, hid from the masses, honed my training skills, went through a whole bunch of trials, and then some." Sans had fully turned towards you, a curious and aggresive gleam in his eyes.

"you solved the tablet? well, what happened? what was the grand mystery?" You could tell that Sans was genuinely curious.

"W-Well, some guy had had his soul shattered across the fabric of space and time, so I found the pieces and put him back together. It cost me one of my lives but I still have three left. C-Counting this one too." Sans seemed to visibly sweat at that.

"the guy. what was his name?" His voice was low, almost like a growl.

"Gaster. I used to call him Black. He's my buddy and he helped to put this thing together." You eyed the large syringes in your pocket, your ears beginning to loosen up. His grip seemed to tighten as he kept walking. A small cottage came into view. It was tiny but homely. It was very Toriel-like.

"can we talk later? as of now, we're at Tori's house. her and Asgore have been taking care of the sick children." You knew about the seven children, each being deathly sick. You figured that Toriel would be the one to care for them. He unattached himself from your arm.

"We can as a m-matter of fact. As of now, I have something that needs to be done. Thanks for bringing me here, by the way. Your scents aren't registered, due to the gap. It's much harder to find you guys nowadays." Sans had opened the door, and the both of you stepped in slowly. The warm air had hit you, once again. On the inside, Papyrus and Undyne sat on a couch, discussing something troubling. Alphys was doing something in the kitchen. They seemed to stop what they were doing as soon as they saw you.

"Lion?" Undyne had gotten to her feet, her bright amber eyes widened.

"LION? IS IT-" You fearfully ignored Undyne and Papyrus, Sans leading you to Toriel. Alphys had dropped something in the kitchen, ditching whatever it was to join the commotion. Undyne, Alphys, and Papyrus followed closely, Papyrus edging ever closer to you. A large bedroom was coming up at the end of the hall. A crude drawing of a bunch of children was taped to the door. The door was wide open.

"My child?!" Toriel who was busy at work had stopped to stare at you, as did Asgore. You could feel the intense stares of everybody, each burning a hole into the back of your head. You proceeded to ignore them, approaching the sick children instead. They did indeed look terribly ill. They lay side-to-side, packed like sardines on the large bed. Each had pale skin, beads of sweat forming on her brows.

"What are you doing here?"

"S-Strictly business. Nothing to worry about." You raised your arm hesitantly, beckoning all of the children's SOULs out. They each glowed a muted color of their attributes. Some swirled with a dark brown substance, some being cracked from a trauma.

"Wait! What are you doing?" You flinched and turned to glare haughtily at the group. They were grouped together near the door, Alphys in particular ogling your lab coat.

"Work. I'd appreciate if you'd let me do that, please. It's a test of sorts. It's not going to hurt them, but rather, do the opposite." You didn't care if you were getting sassy with them. There was work to be done!

Frisk was the closest to you, her tiny chest rapidly rising and falling. Their SOUL was a muted candy red, murky swirls of gray appearing from the sickness. You brought out the large syringe addressed to the trait of DETERMINATION.

"My child. What is that for?" Toriel motioned towards the syringe. You stopped and eyed her again, fully turning to face the group. Papyrus had gone pale. It WAS a big needle.

"My buddy and I have been researching a cure for the sickness. With his knowledge of chemical compounds and my knowledge of the human body, we combined it together into research. He can't come here because he had something else to do. I was the scapegoat, and thus, I am here. Unless you want these children to die, you will calm down and let me help them. They will not suffer any injuries."

You turned back to Frisk, slowly uncapping the first syringe. With a quick push, you inserted the sharp tip of the needle into Frisk's SOUL. The group seemed appalled at what you were doing, but who cares. The gray swirls seemed to vanish and the red color had became brighter and stronger.

As soon as you taken out the needle, Frisk had flew forward, clutching their chest in relief. You didn't pay anymore attention to them as you moved towards the next child. This one had a muted orange soul. You brought out the syringe addressed to the soul of BRAVERY. You inserted the needle, drawing it out when the task was done. The child had raised quickly, doing the same as the child before. You did the same for each child until each syringe was empty and each child, awake. You moved back to observe the side effects.

The children were all healthy, you stowing the empty syringes in your lab coat. Toriel looked astounded while the others could only stare.

"Well. That was the only thing that I came here for, so I'll be taking my leave now. It would do better to learn more about human anatomy so that you'll be better prepared next time. To better health, then." Once the deed was done, you had set off and out the room, leaving the small cottage to celebrate. It was sad to leave, but a bit relieving to leave all that tension and anxiety behind.

"Wait!" Undyne had caught up, locking your arm with her solid grip. You flinched and turned to face her, your fearful paranoia kicking in again.

"Yes? May I help you with something?"

"It's been four years right? I'd like to thank you… for curing the children… But still. It would be nice if you dropped in more often. We've been searching for you ever since you left, you idiot. There's no way that we'll let you slip out of our sight!"

"Wait. You've been searching for me? For four years? I would've given up, so thanks, I guess."

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I want you to swear that you'll come back later! Everybody's been dying to see you! Well, not literally, but you get the point! Come back before night or I'll hunt you down and bring you back!"

"I suggest not to threaten me because every part of me is screaming to run away. The only reason that I came here today was to help the children. Besides, despite what I want to think, I still haven't gotten over to whole 'you killing me' thing. It's not very pleasant to be around your killers." You wrenched your arm out of her grasp, rubbing your sore appendage.

"You SWEAR that you'll be back later?"

"Relax. I'll be back later so hold your tits, please. I SWEAR." With that, you turned on your heel and set out the door, eager to tell Gaster your news. You would hold yourself to your word, and you would return later. You needed to have a nice, long chat with the others.


	27. A Long Awaited Confrontation

The Reunion

You had told Gaster the happy news earlier. He seemed to be ecstatic that his cure had worked so flawlessly, but more so, that he was alive again. The guy seemed to marvel in everything that the waking world had to offer: the whispering flora, the missing fauna, and even taking part in exploring the abandoned regions of the underground. He had persuaded you to venture with him back to the city underneath Waterfall a few weeks ago. It was breathtaking, much like your first one, but a deep seed of dread and despair pooled in your gut. Gaster kept picking up things and marveled at the corpses that he found. You didn't find it as enchanting as he did.

With a loud and obnoxious squeal, the polished white door to the lab flew open, Gaster striding in confidently. You flowed behind him, a bit slower than usual, but nothing that Gaster would take notice of. You had arrived back in the present. You turned to catch the door, your amber eyes catching on the vast filing cabinets. Gaster wanted your help with the amalgamates, and you remembered that you had to document and file who belonged to which beast. But nonetheless, you have something to do at the moment. If you didn't go, they would surely hunt you down.

You took off your bleached white lab coat, hanging it on the coat rack in the corner. No wait. You decided to take it back, noticing the thick layer of dust and debris that had gathered there when the two of you had went exploring. You would have to wash it when you got home. With a shrug and a sigh, you tossed the coat over your shoulder, your tail holding the door as you went to depart.

"Leaving so soon?" Gaster called from behind you. Gaster often purposefully caught you on the way out, sometimes needing your help after hours.

"Yeah. I got some old acquaintances of mine waiting for me."

"Oh? Alright then. Make sure to come back tomorrow! We have much to go over and discuss."

"Alright. Early in the morning like usual?"

"Five in the morning! Sharp! Don't forget! I know how you like to take your time..."

"Pff! You know that it only takes me three to dress out! Liar!"

"Hahaha! I kid. But remember what will happen if you don't."

"I will! See ya, G!"

"Goodbye, Lion!" You slowly set out the door, the cold breeze of Waterfall coursing through your mane of unkempt hair. You heard the thick white door close behind you, its existence melting into the thin fabric of time. It was time to have a long chat with people who you desperately didn't want to talk to.

You began to walk through the glistening caverns of Waterfall, the sound of water dripping from the ceiling bringing on a newfound nostalgia. You were mildly cold in your long white T-shirt and black short shorts, the damp wetness finding its way into your SOULs. Your paws softly touched down with the lush grass, a few beads of dew rolling in between your toes. God, how you missed this grass. It's just too soft to resist.

You tried to remember the way to Toriel's house but got lost in a marketplace. But it's fun to get lost every once in awhile, right? You decided to stop at a newly built boardwalk, the panels shining with the foam of the sea. The teal and azure waves slapped softly at the wooden poles beneath the dock. You stopped to watch the waves as the surged onto the dunes. Various monsters sat around the coast, some daring to venture into the surf. You stifled a giggle as a tiny monster child had tripped on the dunes. Did you know them from somewhere? This sea held plenty of adventures for you. You distinctly remembered sailing across this sea with Bob. How was he anyway? You were about to zone out to the sound of the waves when you heard someone calling you.

"LION? LION! HELLO DEAR FRIEND!" People stopped to stare as a large skeleton dude and a decked out fish-lady had come sprinting down the length of the dock. Straight for you. It was Papyrus and Undyne, and one of them had murdered you in cold blood. NO. Stop that, you are associating them to those incidents again... You weren't gonna run away this time.

You turned to face him as he ran towards you, his boots slamming on the wooden dock. It seemed strange that the two of them were here, as the two were always together, excluding that time back in Hotland. Were these two always together?

You muffled the brunt of a hiss as Papyrus captured you in his embrace, squeezing all the air out of your sore lungs. Hiking up a mountain that huge was no small feat. It was much more forceful than the previous hugs that Papyrus had given you. He picked you up a few couple feet off the ground, luminescent orange tears streaming down his cheeks. How was that even possible? For some strange reason, the smell of cooked spaghetti flooded your nostrils. Undyne had stopped a little ways away, shyly looking down at her feet. It was as she was afraid to touch you.

"YOU'RE FINALLY BACK! WE'VE MISSED YOU SO MUCH SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONE! YOU'VE CHANGED SO MUCH TOO! COME! THE OTHERS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOUR ARRIVAL ALL DAY!"

"But I only left Toriel's house an hour ago. That's sixty minutes of waiting."

"AN HOUR IS MUCH TOO LONG, FRIEND! NO MORE BOONDOGGLING! WE ARE OFF!" And with that, the duo had begun to run, Papyrus holding you like a sacred baby in his thin arms. Undyne had followed closely behind, guarding the rear just in case of an attack. You had forgotten just how strong Papyrus was. The grassy ground flew by in a maze of cool colors, people parting to let you three pass. You spotted a couple of people who you used to know, the surprised look on their faces making you smile. That's right. You had had your own search party for four years. Time sure does fly by fast. After a while, the duo began to slow down, Undyne playfully glaring at you. You eyed her nervously, your amber eyes brightening in anxiety and fear. No going back now.

"It's about time you came home, punk!" As she passed, you felt a spare tear roll down your cheek, the salt making you smell slightly salty. You hastily wiped it away with your arm, your arm fur catching the invading tear. No tears, tonight.

Papyrus had began to put you down with nostalgic hesitation, your paws firmly touching the ground. You were still as tall as one of his shoulders, but if you managed to balance on your tail, you could trump him. But coming up to his shoulder meant that you were pretty tall. Shorter than Undyne though, because she had a good foot on you.

You turned around and faced the wooden cottage. The warm light that came through the window was welcoming, and if not, then the smell of mint and chocolate was. The small wooden house was something like a slap in the face, seeing as how you last remembered Toriel's house as empty and forbidden. A small part of you felt at home. Something you haven't felt for a good, long while.

"COME IN, LION! MS. DRE- EERMM. I MEAN, TORIEL MADE HOT CHOCOLATE!" You gingerly stepped into the wooden house, Undyne closing the door gently behind you. You marveled at all the old photos and memories that were strung around the place. From your position near the mantel, you could see an old photo that you had begrudgingly smiled for when you and the group had went ice skating. You were so smol.

What the two said at the dock had been true. Almost everyone was gathered in the living room and stared at you curiously as you came in. Toriel was bustling around in the kitchen, coming out in time with a plate filled to the brim with steaming mugs of cocoa. You chose not to take one, even though you knew that the mug in the middle was meant for you. Papyrus had taken your arm again, leading you to a lone plush chair at the center of the room. Your spot, you suppose.

Suddenly, two of the children in the room had shivered. Strange. It wasn't cold in here. Right. Humans.

"Are you cold?" You asked the two children. The one with the dirty blonde hair stared at you, as if they expected for you to lunge at them. They gave a small fraction of a nod. Ah. As you turned to call Toriel, you spotted the furnace, that for some reason wasn't lit.

"Oh. It seems that i've forgotten to set the fireplace.I'll-"

"No need." You shushed Toriel and made your way over to the furnace.

"I'll get it." You crouched in front of the furnace and activated your fire magic, a hue of cyan and silver filling the room. Within seconds, the tendrils of sizzling flames turned a much cooler scarlet, and you safely stoked the furnace. You could hear the two children's audible sighs of relief, the blonde one moving closer to the surging flames.

"PLEASE SIT." You did so, plopping yourself into the seat across from the furnace. It felt nice to sit after being on your feet all day. When everybody was seated (and when Toriel had successfully coaxed you into taking your cocoa, they just sorta stared at you. You quietly sipped at your cocoa, the faint taste of chocolate and mint making you a little drowsy. Guess you have to break the ice, huh?

"You guys just gonna stare at me all day? I mean, I know I'm fabulous but jeez, contain yourself." You took another long drag of your cocoa, heating up the dregs with your magic. Tasty. Toriel had opened her mouth to say something, but Undyne had been first.

"Where the heck have you been for these past four years, and why have you been avoiding us?" You could understand why Undyne was angry, and you were too. Now was not the time for anger and befuddlement. Well, maybe the latter.

"Well, I've been all over the place for the last four years, and I've been avoiding you because, you know, being murdered three times in a row makes you reluctant to chat. The underground is quite big once you get used to hiding in the shadows, and discovering secret passageways. What say you? What have you all been up to since I've been gone? No wait. I don't even know the majority of you. The children, I mean. I know Oliver and Frisk, but who are you all?" The room had gone silent. You quietly eyed each child, your clouded amber eyes coming to rest on the last one. A tall and lanky child whose eyes were a nice shade of cerulean. He seemed to be staring intently at you, so much, that he decided to get up and stalk over to you.

"Hola. Why are you staring at me? Tis rude." You drained the last of your cocoa, gently setting the mug back on the coffee table. The kid had began to sign to you, but within the last four years, you had forgotten most of the ASL that Frisk had taught you.

"I apologize for my subtlety, but I didn't understand a sign of what you just said. Four years ago, I could've replied back to you using my paws, but since I haven't used it since then…. Heheh no. Sorry, but I'll need a translator or some paper and some ink." The kid didn't seem discouraged at all. He merely went back to the coffee table and produced a pen and attempted to find some loose leaf paper from a separate cabinet.

"Lion, dear?" Toriel quipped.

"Yeah?"

"This child-" Toriel was cut short as the kid had rudely shoved a piece of paper into your paws. You gently took the paper and smoothed it out, coming to find that the kid had drawn something on it. A few hastily scribbled words dotted the page.

"Thanks. Hold on for a second Toriel." You read the paper…

What was scribbled on the paper appeared to be a thick line of ink acting as a border between the two sides. One side (the right) showed a small human child crouched on the floor of the paper, appearing to be shoving something underneath the border. On the other side, a figure of sorts (judging by the ears and the tail, it was you) appeared to be sending another thing under the door. The two of you were smiling. There was detail in the drawing too.

The kid's side showed a torso-less pair of legs and arms trying to drag the kid away from the door. Speech bubbles with derogatory words littered this side of the paper, and from what you could see, the bubbles looked to be cutting into the kid's body. Like knifes.

On your side, it showed a dark and grim room with bookshelves and papers littering the floor. You appeared to be injured too, a few nicks in your ears and tail. You were bleeding more heavily than the kid, but the two of you were still smiling. You then read the words above the image. Oh wow. The grammar was terrible.

 _This is my fwiend_

 _They sleep in dark with me_

 _Never sees but is frind_

 _Mom tells that no real_

 _They are there all the time_

 _They sleep with me in dark_

Beside the poem laid a date. This was written about six years ago! Another poem was written underneath it, this one being very recent. Much better grammar though. It took you a good couple of minutes to lay your eyes of the name. 'Sue Donovan."

It couldn't be… You read the next poem.

This is my best friend, shapeless yet solid.

They sleep in the dark with me when the needles no longer stick.

Nobody has ever seen them, not even me, but they're here.

But they are truly my friend, because nobody else was.

If they were not real, then who's to count for

When blood ran freely and tears were no more?

Who was the bane of my nightmares, keeping the darker force at bay?

If not solid, then who?

They are there all the time, when dawn becomes dusk and dusk becomes darkness.

When laughter turns to fear and insomnia keeps me awake.

They have slept with me in the dark, braving the darkness like a knight in overly large sweaters.

A sword of care and hope slicing through the chains

And a knock of life that greets me with the color of love

You let the paper drop back into your lap, a disbelieving glint in your eyes. This kid who stood so overwhelmingly close to you was-

"Sue Acrotonomis Donovan. I would've never guessed that you had thrown yourself down here. It's… It's been quite a ride, huh kid?" You muttered. Without hesitation, Sue had thrown himself into you, his long arms wrapping tightly around your chest. You glanced upwards to meet the tearing expressions of your fellow acquaintances.

"What? Can two old buddies not be reunited without a tear being shed? I'm looking at you, Toriel." You faked a teasing scowl as you patted the top of Sue's head, knowing that he COULD speak, but he would probably do it out of earshot of the others.

"Though I must say. You look old, dude." Sue had pulled away from you with a scowl, you laughing as he swatted you the drawing.

"Ouch! Okay, cut it out! You have A LOT to explain to me young man!"

'Young man?!' You could tell by Sue's expression what he was saying. You had to stifle a chuckle as you messed up his neat blonde hair.

"Yes, YOUNG MAN. Why on earth would you throw yourself down here? No but seriously. You could've been paralyzed from the waist down with a stunt like that! Why?" Sue used the back of the drawing to scribble some words to you.

'Tyrants are gone.'

"Oh. I hope you're not mad when I say that that was me. I mean, what car wouldn't explode after a high-speed collision? Certainly not one that I would ride in, mind you!"

'Nice.'

"What happened afterwards? More importantly, what happened to the old codgers? Your parents? Did you ever get to collect her bodies?" You added in a loud whisper. The others (Toriel) looked appalled at your secret conversation, but Sue nodded and motioned for the paper again.

'Got to go home early.'

"So you're telling me that your parents died a fiery death, and all you cared about was getting out of school early?" Sue nodded excitedly. You gave an exasperated chuckle.

"What happened afterwards? Other codgers, right?" Sue nodded again. You narrowed your eyes at him.

"Were they like the smarmy fellows that we know? Do I need to go and destroy them?" Sue looked to be thinking heavily about something. Sue was a sarcastic douche sometimes.

"Pardon my interruption, but… what are you two talking about?" Sue waggled his eyebrows at you, much to the other's confusion.

"So Sue and I used to know each other, and live in the same house, as some of you may know. Keep in mind that I've known this kid since he was brought into the world. Let's just say that I killed his parents, he couldn't care less, and that the two of us are gonna go play extreme ice hockey later. Oh, right! Did you ever get into the basement?" Sue nodded, thrusting the piece of paper back at you.

'I can't believe you lived in there! They were terrible, weren't they?"

"You said it kid. So… why are you down here?"

'To look for you, dumb dumb. Not the same without you.'

"Ah. How sweet. So you ran away huh? Did you forget what we practiced, kiddo?" Sue shook his head and shrugged.

"Constant vigilance! The rough domain of sandpaper doesn't last a chance against cobble. But guessing as though you're still young, you just ran for the hills, huh?" Sue nodded, a toothy grin playing on his lips. You laughed and hugged him to you, the sweet smell of peppermint and books filling your nostrils.

"So.. he was telling the truth?" A lone kid piped up. He had dark olive skin and bushy brown hair. Oliver.

"How's Toriel been treating you, Oliver? Good, I presume. Yes, Sue has indeed been telling me the truth. Ask me anything. You'll see."

"Okay. Is what Sue said about the basement true?"

"Hmm. What about the basement in general?"

"That you used to be trapped down there, and that the two of you had to talk through the door?"

"kid. you didn't mention anything about that to us…" You snuck a questioning glance at Sans, whose expression was grimdark. You uttered a heavy sigh and allowed Sue to rest in you lap.

"While I won't deny your question, Sue is correct. Back during my many years on the surface, after my parents had passed away, well… Let's just say that chloroform smells terrible. Yes, I was kept in a basement for eight years away from the sun. It was terrible and horribly damp in there, but I managed. Any other questions?"

"What's woodshop, and why does Sue speak of it with such ill fondness?" Alphys asked from her position next to Undyne. You snuck a glance at Sue, who gave you the same look. You sighed once more and plowed on.

"Sue and I called Woodshop lessons from Satan. It was awful, let me tell ya'. I will never forget the feeling of concentrated sandpaper and a papercut. Don't even get me started on the time when they used polishing oil and peppermint to cut off those, shall we say loose ends? I know that Sue remembers because the smell of peppermint tends to linger. But who's to say that the sharp point of an eleven inch wide power saw cutting through flesh isn't pleasurable to the highly morbid? And who could forget about the infamous duo of saw and buzzkill? And I remember back during those days, late in the night when I had to use my magic to staunch the heavy bleeding, I said to myself ' Golly! What a wonderful time to be alive!'"

"You know that's a grand lie!" Sue uttered, his voice hoarse and barely a whisper. It seems that the others didn't hear him.

"HIs parents?" Toriel asked. You supplied.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say that the mistress eats children and her husband could pitch one a good fifty kilometers. That is to say, his 'mother' was a abusive and sickening excuse for a fertile female, and his father was a piss poor abusive nobody, whom both took out their daily woes on us. Pardon my french." You gave a great yawn and humorously studied the horrified looks of your friends.

"But surely-"

"Now I'm gonna cut you off right there so that you have no chance in supporting this kid's humiliating excuses for parents. You don't mind, do you Sue?" Sue immediately shook his head. You continued.

"Like I've said before, I've known Sue for a very long time. He was born a good three months after I was kidnapped. Before Sue was born, his parents, who were terrible people, didn't even know the meaning of gentle. I've suffered many beating from them, but if anything is to be said about her brutish behavior, it's Sue. I mean, I had to deal with the nine hellish months of the pregnant mistress, and let me tell you, she's rough when she has pickles. Of course, I'm very smart, and the walls in that place were thinner than a piece of paper. The master was already going to be a poor excuse for a father.

"When the time came, I actually had a decent rest, because SOMEBODY took a good thirty-six hours of labor to come out. Afterwards, the mistress stopped beating on me, but SOMEBODY had to do it, and the master was already prime for a good release of tension. I took most of the heavy blows, seeing as how the mistress was absolutely obsessed with this young man over here.

"Heheh- It wore off so quickly that it flashed in the blink of an eye. If you didn't know, Sue was born blind. He was perfectly able to speak, and did so before 'the accident'. His parents were horrible people. When they found out that he was blind, they began to get very violent. Enough to the point that it made him not talk to nor want to be around them anymore. That made them even more agitated. But he talked sometimes, and who other to talk to than the person who knows what it's like! It was only a good flight of stairs away. Seeing as how I couldn't leave the basement, and believed me when I say that I tried, Sue came to me instead.

"After a reassurance that I wouldn't hurt him or anything, we became fast friends. Whenever his parents weren't looking, he would sneak down and the two of us would take turns sketching out one another's profiles. Tell me Sue, do I look like a fire-breathing snake millipede to you now? I thought so. The funny thing was, after a while, we just stopped caring. Sue would take the drawings with him and tell anybody who would ask about me. Of course, the codgers decided to intervene, but Sue's room was literally right above mine. We just spoke through the floor. It was quite humorous.

"Even so, those two people have beaten me within an inch of my life twice, and Sue has experienced it too, so to speak. No matter what you tell us, we will always believe that they were horrible people. I'm just glad that you're out of there, kid. Sorry for running away like that, but the pines were calling for me. And I wasn't about to wait outside your classroom door for you, unless you wanted me back in a cell. That's all there really is to the matter. Sorry for holding that juicy tidbit out on you, but it was only for our best interests. Besides. Our business is OUR business. We're not nosy." You ended your spiel on a sour note, coming to notice that Sue was crying a little bit. You rubbed away his tears and gave another yawn.

"Anywho, back to the matter at ease. How have you guys been? It's been four years, right? Remember that time when you two impaled me with sharpened instruments? And who could forget when Undyne caused me to bleed to death. Good times." You wiped a fake tear from your eyes and turned to stare at Undyne. The atmosphere in the room became tense again. You coughed violently and continued on.

"Dude. Stop. You guys are fine, all right? I forgave you when you didn't violently murder me the fourth time we met. Which was last time. But still... Next time you plan on brutally murdering me, can you warn me ahead of time? I'd prefer it to being stabbed multiple times or being hunted down like a psychopathic killer." Papyrus winced and Alphys spat out a bit of her cocoa.

"We're still very sorry about that. I apologize for taking away one of your lives." Asgore looked very sheepish in his spot next to Toriel. You flashed him a simpering look and a tiny smile showed through.

"You know, you all still have yet to explain WHY you killed me. I mean, bleeding to death isn't as fun as you think it is. Nor is having acid turn your insides into soup. I know that you all probably didn't mean it, but come on. Please explain your actions." You crossed your legs, locking Undyne, Sans, and Asgore in a narrow and searing glare. Undyne was apparently leading the conversation for the others.

"I hope you like long stories because that's where this is going."

"Please! I have the rest of time to listen to your story. I'm listening." Everybody looked extremely nervous but Undyne continued. The extra children in the room just looked confused. Who were they anyway?

"A long time ago in another timeline, this kid, whose name we won't mention, came to the underground. The kid was a demon who hated humanity, even the kind humans. They wanted to kill all the humans on the Earth, but they died before they could challenge that threat. We don't know why they hated humanity, but we think it had to do with something from their past. Anyway, when this kid died, they got trapped down here. But their ambition was strong. They needed someone with a strong amount of DETERMINATION to play into their hands. That's where Frisk plays in." You glanced over to Frisk, them looking guiltily away. You sighed.

"Okay, so let me get this straight: in another timeline, a kid with a thirst for hating humanity fell down into the underground. They died down here but didn't pass on, but they still wanted to exact their revenge on humanity. Is that right?"

"Yeah. Anyhow, this kid took over Frisk's SOUL in multiple timelines, causing them to commit mass genocide. After all, they needed enough power to wipe out the humans. Who cared if one or two monsters were hurt in the process?" Undyne had paused, waiting for you to catch up. You sighed and held your head in your paws.

"Whoever this kid is, they sound like a complete douchebag. Murdering numerous people for your own ambition is a ballsy thing to do, not to mention that the monsters could've just used their magic to retaliate. So what's the big deal?"

"Well, we tried that in one timeline, but this is where things get weird. Frisk has enough DETERMINATION to use a sort of magic. It's can only do three actions: SAVE, CONTINUE, and RESET. Saving and continuing are no big deal, but to RESET…"

"That would be ripping all the memories of previous events from everybody, right? I can see how that would be a bad thing."

"To cut to the chase, this kid killed every monster over and over, resetting everytime. They were often coated with dust. So I found it strangely coincidental that the whole time you were gone, there was a mass genocide in the Ruins."

"Wait. What? There was a mass genocide under my nose? That's new." That was new.

"Yeah. The whole time you were gone on your adventure, monsters had been disappearing from the Ruins. It was a strange coincidence that the day you came out, you were covered with dust. It was also the day that the last known monster in the Ruins had gone missing. That's why I was so quick to kill you. I thought the kid had taken over your soul or something."

"Okay. I can see why you did that."

"The reason why Sans and Asgore were involved was because we knew about your whole nine lives shebang, and we thought the kid would keep showing up again, and would use your lives like toys. But they didn't. Sans figured that out but we were too late to message Asgore. So we messed up pretty bad."

"Ooh." So that's why they didn't give you time to talk. It DID make a whole lotta sense, even if it sounded a little funny. Undyne eagerly awaited your response.

"I guess that makes sense, but you could've just checked my stats. However, you followed your instincts and there is nothing wrong with that. But there's still one thing that I don't understand. Nobody is truly born evil. There must've been something that caused them to be like that. And besides. Killing isn't something that a killer would take lightly. To wield an instrument capable of taking a life, you would have to have nothing to live for. Either that, or have no compassion to speak of. I've heard that some things are taught with the mother's milk, but killing isn't one of them. I have a feeling that whoever it is has learned sometime in their life, that killing was okay. That is was acceptable. After all, I grew up killing things with gleeful abandon. Do you think that if I was a human, that I would go shooting down majestic eagles and beautiful fauna like some sort of demented pinata seeker? No. I wouldn't." You took a searching a glance for each of them, your amber eyes stopping on Sans.

"i'm just surprised that you're not confused about timelines." Sans had piped up, eyeing you as if you had a dirty secret that you needed to share. Meh. Stare all you want, you have to ask for the truth directly.

"Believe me, I've gotten an earful from my peers. Remember that my parents were hundreds of years old. I relived each of their memories, and my dad used to dabble in timeline shenanigans. He even taught me how the universe worked when I was a kitten. I eat timelines for breakfast so there's not much left to be said." You know that your parents had lived for hundreds of years, keeping their lives sacred and strong. Your dad always pestered you about timelines and educated you on why they were important. That and the fact that Gaster wouldn't leave you alone about them. Textbooks about physics and formulas _**everywhere.**_

"Ahem. On a different note, how have YOU been child? Where exactly did you go on your journey, young one? What did you see?" Toriel had spoken now, her elegant hesitating and hoarse.

"Yeah, punk! Tell us where you've been for the past four years! Supplex anybody?" All at once, everybody began to bombard you with questions.

"YO CHILL!" The room went silent. You cleared your throat.

"So to begin my tragic story which was actually LOT of fun, I had been exploring Snowdin for a couple weeks of the first quarter, following the pull of my SOULs. These things have came in handy, let me tell ya'. It took me a while to find it, but after a lot of digging, I found this secret trap door in the rock floor of Snowdin."

"THE ROCK FLOOR OF SNOWDIN?" They didn't know? Heh.

"Well? What did you think was underneath all that snow? Underneath that trap door was a whole maze, which was narrow and irritating. It was a tunnel that probably led out of Snowdin and away from the mountain. It took me a good couple of months in that maze just to find a door."

"A DOOR?"

"Yep! A door. The thing kept switching places every half an hour or so, and you wouldn't believe how slippery dust is. Sometimes it was on the ceiling, other times you had to jump over a gorge just to miss by a hair. I just so happened to FINALLY get to it in time. Here's where things get weird. So my SOULs kept pulling me forward and suddenly, the floor gives out beneath me. And you could only guess what I fell into. I know Undyne knows because it took me TWO showers to get that stuff off." A dark look crossed your face. The bodies still haunted you. Only Sans seemed to notice.

"I didn't expect it at first, but… the pit was filled with monster dust. I think some of it got in my mouth actually." You could hear the cries of the dead monsters and remember the flashes of the corpses disintegrating. You shuddered. The others were starting to piece it together.

"So that's where the dust came from?" Undyne looked skeptical. Very skeptical. You continued.

"I didn't see it until after I had found the first soul fragment, as it was dark in there. I only realized it when I was in too deep. I had clawed my way out but I lost everything in there: my map, my food, my spare clothes. I couldn't wash the stuff off of me. I just had to hope that home wasn't far away. Guess who was waiting for me on the other side. Thanks for greeting me with such welcoming arms Undyne. You're a real good sport." You paused to rearrange your glasses, continuing when they were firmly set on your muzzle.

"After Undyne had killed me, I just sorta went home and rested for a bit. And then the whole Sans and Asgore ordeal took place. Thanks guys for tipping the scale. After that, I learned to just avoid everybody and keep my head down. I didn't want to lose all of my lives in one go. That and the fact that I didn't even know Asgore back then! I've only just met you an hour ago!" Asgore, the really tall goat next to Toriel, had given you an apologetic look. You simply shrugged and carried on.

"Just like Snowdin, there's a secret to Waterfall too. Many secrets, as a matter of fact. There's a large lake under the ground with a ton of crystals growing all over the place. Papyrus would've had a blast in there."

"WHY IS THAT, FRIEND?" You just stared at Papyrus.

"There were a fuck ton of puzzles in there, not to mention that I had to make a time paradox just to solve that last one. There was also a giant ancient city filled with corpses and one of them followed me around for a while. He helped me solve the last one. That whole sequence took a good year. Each puzzle was harder than the last. Oh, did I tell you that I've murdered two things on my journey?" You heard the sound of glass crack.

"What?!" You flashed a grin at Undyne's murderous glare, and swapped expressions with everyone in the room.

"Yeah. Snowdin's dungeon didn't have one but Waterfall and Hotland sure did! Waterfall had a nine-headed dog- dragon- snake thing, who had a history for destroying the ancient city and eating its inhabitants. Delarose took one of its heads for a trophy. I'm considering mounting it on my wall. Hotland had this weird parasitic worm thing that had the mouth of a spider with a ton of sharp teeth. That thing was nasty. Can you imagine just seeing, oh, I don't know, uh, Frisk explode in a heap of mangled chunks and this huge worm-spider just come slithering out? It was taller than the core but it was easy to kill. So yeah." Toriel looked like she was about to keel over, as did Asgore. Undyne had paled, Papyrus looked extremely nervous as did Sans, and the children looked like they just shit their pants, Sue included.

"You faced things like that? And you killed them?" Undyne questioned.

"Well, not necessarily. When they "died" they didn't turn to dust. They just sort of 'disappeared'. It was weird and I'd prefer if I never have to go back to those places ever again. Scratch that. I have a date with G back at the old ancient ruins. He wants to research the corpses."

"Oh. So the soul fragments were in these dungeons?"

"Yup."

"So, what happened after you got all of the pieces?" Ah. This question.

"Well, ever since the first piece, there's been this guy that's been helping me find these pieces. Well. He was the guy who I put back together. He's pretty cool and I work with him nowadays." Disbelieving looks, activate.

"Oh? And what was their name?" Asgore asked you.

"Gaster. I call him G for short. Or as I like to remember him, 'gotta go gast.'" Alphys and Sans had paled and Asgore looked stricken with grief. Sue had hidden a tiny smile underneath a grimace.

"But, he's dead! That's impossible!" Alphys exclaimed.

"That's not impossible. Who do you think created the cures for these kid's illnesses? Gasty and I. He was the one who alerted me of it anyway."

"Oh. Well then. That is quite the achievement then. Was there anything else that happened on your journey?" You're avoiding something Toriel.

"Actually, yeah. _**Who's idea was it to cut off the power to Snowdin?!**_ Seriously though. That's not even funny. The one break I have from being hunted down by monsters and solving puzzles, and my house doesn't even work like it should. That was just REAL dandy." Sans could hardly hold back a snort as the others paled at the mention of Snowdin.

"Wait, you've been to Dark Snowdin?"

"If that's what you're calling it, then sure. The whole place is still going strong with its crazy weather. My house is the only house to survive. I think the city of Snowdin is buried under the snow and ice. The last time I was there, it was up the the brother's balcony. I I'm feeling up to it, then I could go sledding down the path of the gorge. It filled up with snow and everything has either caved in or is frozen. Nice mailbox, Papyrus. I carved the ice around it into a plate of spaghetti, just because I could. I think I'll go and carve a fork for it."

"Holy shit. That's alot of snow." Undyne muttered.

"You're telling me. I had to walk through that shitstorm in the dark. Hilarious, almost falling to your death again." Everybody had appeared to have a good laugh at your cold expedition. "You think this is funny? Frostbite on the tail is NOTHING to joke about."

"So why is Snowdin dark?" You asked. Sans answered that one for you.

"monsters have been dying for a while now. folks were starting to get worried that they'd be next, so we all left Snowdin to move to Waterfall or Hotland. the authorities cut off all sources of power afterwards and blocked the entrance. nobody's been to Snowdin in two years. hey. wanna go back and check on the place?" You could tell he was being sarcastic.

"Sure! I mean, my house is in that shitstorm. I've had to walk back and forth between here and there so many times. The dark doesn't bother me as much. Besides. I could smuggle a few immigrants into the tunnels. Nobody has to know." That was true. Your daily routine consisted of going through the frozen tundra, but then again, you were home most of the time doing absolutely nothing.

Toriel had quietly stood and made her way over to you, embracing you in a tight hug, much harder than Papyrus. Goat mom got serious strength.

"Well, we're glad to have you home again." She muttered into your hair.

"And I"m glad that I don't have to go incognito everytime that I step out of my house. It's nice to see you all again, and I hope it stays this way. Please don't violently murder me again, or I'll suplex your hopes and dreams."

"Ah! Come here, punk!" Undyne has joined the hug pile.

"COUNT ME IN ON THE HUGS!" Papyrus has joined the hug pile. Maximum limit exceeded. Abort!

"I hope you don't mind if I join in." Asgore has joined the hug pile. Error! Error! Everybody had soon joined the massive hug pile, surrounding you with love and affection. You could've cried but you weren't gonna, no matter how far the feel train had taken you. You detached yourself from the hug pile and made your way to the door.

"This was a nice chat and all, but sadly, I have to get up at four in the morning. I must depart for Snowdin, post haste!" The room went quiet once more.

"Are you sure? You could stay with us, if you'd like." Poor Toriel. You felt for her but your independence was begging to go back home.

"I'm sure. My independence is too strong for me to handle. Don't worry though. I'm not gonna disappear. Not like these last two times, this time I swear." They still looked visibly worried but relaxed just a bit.

"Well then. Please don't forget to visit! We have so much to catch up on! Oh! Wait just a moment!" Toriel scrambled back into the hallway, coming back with a piece of paper. Four addresses were scribbled hastily onto the paper as she handed it to you.

"If you ever need to find us, use this piece of paper. Our addresses have been labeled already know where your house is. Do come back!" You nodded and stepped out of the house.

"Bye Toriel, Asgore, Undyne, Alphys, Papyrus, Sans, Frisky, Sue, and other children! I'll see ya' later!"

"Take care!" You set off, the path to Snowdin was gonna be long and dark. Suddenly, an arm linked around your other one. It was Sans.

"Are you trying to get to Snowdin? Can't you just do your weird teleporting thing?" You asked as he stubbornly held onto your arm. The two of you had began to walk, the grass of Waterfall sinking into your paws.

"i've been meaning to but I've been busy. plus, we still didn't get to talk about that thing."

"What? Gaster?"

"that and other things."

"Like what?"

"what life are you on as of now?"

"My third."

"i thought you had four left. what happened?" Sans sounded shaken, the lights in his eyes dim.

"I died resurrecting Gaster. No biggie. He deserves another chance at life." It sounded humerus when you put it that way. Wait. You snorted, covering your mouth with your paws. Let the giggling ensue.

"what. did you find something humerus?"

"Sans, stop! I just made an unintentional pun with the same pun and you're not helping!"

"oh, so i'm starting to rib off on you, huh?"

"Stop it!"

"nah. i think you need a femur." You glared at him from the corner of your eye,

"what? don't like puns? don't worry i have tons. a skele-ton." Sigh.

"No! Yours are the worst!"

"well, I think their clawsome."

"Dammit Sans! Don't change the punject!"

" *snort* alright. I'll stop."

"Thank you. Here's the tunnel by the way." The two of you had eventually reached a large rock wall. It was near the lily pad room in Waterfall but a long and tedious tunnel lead near the sled slopes around Snowdin. You reached behind a jutting rock, moving the rock panel to reveal the hidden tunnel.

"After you, my fine gentleman." He moved into the tunnel and you moved in after him, replacing and fitting the panel back into place. The tunnel wasn't long, a wide arch opening into the pure darkness of Snowdin.

"woah. it's dark in here."

"It's always dark in here Sans. You get used to it after a while. Here, I'll make some light." You were about to use your fire magic to light up the cavern when you felt something strange interfere with your SOULs. It was probably just the catacombs. You bravely led the way, Sans whistling behind you, his phalanges latched onto your shoulders. Within a few minutes, the two of you had reached a slope, a few rocks piled by the sides.

"Here we are! I hope you like the dark, because that's what's waiting on the other side. There's another opening in the rocks that will open up into Snowdin." As you went farther, Sans asked you a question.

"did you dig this entire tunnel?"

"No. This tunnel that were in used to be the main path to Waterfall. The tunnel that I partially made curves around the sentry station so that it's undetectable. Get it?"

"yeah."

"Good, because we're here. Welcome to Dark Snowdin, Sans."

The frosty fronds of snow whipped through the air, a few snowflakes settling in your hair. Sans gazed in wonder at the place that he used to call home.

"Come on. Your house is not too far away. You'll get to see the gnarly sculpture that I made in your absence."

"oh lord."

"Oh lord is right. Come on! There's so much to see!~"


	28. The Liar And The Thief

A Brother Gained

Golden and marble clouds swam before your vision, a wild garland of holly dangling merrily over your head. You could smell a wisp of baking rainbow trout on the winds, your mouth watering at the succulent smell. While catfish was your big favorite, you couldn't argue with the classics. But where was the delectable smell coming from..?

"Mm." You rose drowsily to your paws, the smell of rainbow trout making you incredibly sleepy. You could feel something hard underneath your paws, the surface sharp and yet soft. What the heck? You peered forward, finding yourself on a lake of sorts. A thick layer of ice bordered over the waves, a few solitary minnows swimming past you underneath the surface. As you had seen it before, a giant holly bush was standing beside you, some elder and birch trees casting large shadows on the ice. It looked to be twilight, but then again, the white and grays of the clouds overhead gave off the sign of daytime. And yet, you could see many stars beyond the canopies, much like the crystals back in Waterfall.

Oh well. You've had weirder dreams. You went to move when you tripped over something. With a soundless cry, you fell to the ground, the ice making your descent unpleasant.

"Urrgg… Hm?" You got back on your paws, spotting a huddled figure beside you. They wore a bright green and yellow sweater, and they had a mop of reddish-brown hair. They looked like Frisk in a sense. Were they unconscious?

"Oi!" You dropped to your paws (again) and placed an ear to the kid's chest. Nothing. Meh. They were probably dead. Not that you cared. You had too much experience with the dead. You went to move your head when you spotted another figure a few yards away. This one looked to have monster qualities. They wore the same sweater, albeit having snowy white tufts of fur in place of ghostly white skin. This one was breathing.

Hm. Looks like the tyke across the lake is stirring. You immediately seized the dead child around the waist and hauled them over your shoulder. You would bury them soon. They felt to be as light as a feather. Strange, considering that your arms were like uncooked noodles. You traipsed over to the other child, taking note that this one was actually awake. They seemed to be gasping for breath, a hollow and dead look in their bright red eyes. No wounds or scars.

"You alright there? Need some help?" They choked at your presence, taking a few fleeting moments to get to their feet. Huh. Now that you saw them up close, they looked kind of like Toriel. Asgore too. The resemblance was uncanny.

"I'm- I'm alright. *gasp* Who are you? What happened to Chara?" The goat kid asked.

"You mean the human on my shoulder? They're dead. They're not breathing at all. Why? Wanna resuscitate them?" The kid paled but then shook their head, a slight scowl on their face.

"They're not dead. At least, I don't think they are. I'm Asriel. Asriel Dreemur. Who're you? You still haven't answered me." He rasped fearfully. You twitched an ear in his direction, noticing that you were as short as him. Must be a dream.

"You can call me Lion. That's what my buddies call me." You rasped out. You carefully shifted the kid on your shoulders, making sure that their clammy hands wouldn't reach the base of your tail. It was much too sensitive.

"That's only because that's the only name that they know you by. The only name that you told them. What's your REAL name?" Ah. Considering that this was just a dream, and a lucid dream at that, you couldn't bring yourself to care about a measly slip up.

"My real name is Hazel Merinia Sweetgrass. It's an old name that I don't use very much. Makes me sound really old. Besides the point, it's a secret name."

"A secret name?" Asriel asked curiously. The two of you had began to walk in a random direction, absentmindedly following the scent of the baking trout. You slid gracefully across the ice while Asriel had trouble balancing on his paws. Without hesitation, you took hold of his wrist, guiding him quietly across the lake. Chara was still draped across your shoulders, their bushy red hair tickling your arms. Tiny specks of snow fell in lazy widdershins, the flakes seeming to disappear before they hit the ground.

"Yeah. Did you know that back in medieval days, people created middle names so that witches and warlocks would have no power over them? If somebody were to give out their middle name, they could be tortured within an inch of their lives. Kind of dark if you ask me. I just go by Lion because it's vaguely simple. Hopefully, you're not going to use that against me." Asriel had cocked his head to the side in disbelief, his long ears trailing out from behind him.

"Hey. Are you getting taller, or is it just me?" You quipped. Indeed, the goat child beside you got taller with every step that he took. Tiny stripes of black fur began to creep up his cheeks, and sharp ivory horns began to poke out of his head. The child on your shoulder had began to stir. You were growing too. Your tail had began to lengthen and your ears and fur had grown about an inch longer and thicker.

"Ah! Chara! You're awake!" As you reached the faraway bank, Asriel hurriedly took Chara from your shoulder, the kid seeming to wake up faster in Asriel's arms. You took this alleged time to escape, your eyesight becoming poorer in growth. Things were starting to get weird here in the fruity rumpus rainbow factory.

While Asriel had devoted his full attention span to Chara, you silently saddled away into the dark woods, hungrily following the smell of baking rainbow trout. This time you wouldn't get sidetracked.

You kept walking, noticing that the little things around you kept changing brazenly. The snow would turn into torrential rain, and then into falling cherry petals, and then into bronze and golden leaves, and then back into snow. Vivacious flowers and lively fauna would appear and disappear, the sun occasionally peeking around the corner with the bright rays of rust and copper dappling the leaves overhead. For every step that you took, the world changed around you, quietly but suddenly. Dawn would turn to dusk, and then to twilight, as if stuck in a revolving pattern. Stars that you've never seen before, glowed and reflected in the burning amber pits of your eyes, which flickered from life to death, and back again.

As you got closer to the source of the baking trout, you discovered that you had not lost your followers. Two tall figures had came noisily crashing through the undergrowth, one cursing loudly.

"Hey! Wait for us!" Asriel and Chara, who had both been running, came to a complete halt at your paws. While Asriel towered over you, Chara was a good inch taller than you.

"Hmm? What are you two doing back here? I'm just following the scent of the fish." You muttered, you tail kinking into a knot. You preferred to have time to yourself.

"That weird smell is fish?" Chara asked disgustedly. You narrowed your amber eyes at her insensitive tone, turning your back on them and continuing on your trek. You could feel their dark red eyes burning into your back. You stifled a angsty sigh and carried on.

"Yeah. It smells like rainbow trout, but it could be a black bass or a catfish. Depending on the season, you can tell." You sarcastically spoke, running your paws over the damp bark of a chestnut tree. Squirrels busily chattered above while the owl slept dolefully.

"How would you know?" Chara asked. The three of you had began to follow the smell instinctively, your senses becoming much sharper. Dawn had broken again from the canopies and fresh dew sparkled from the branches of the elder leaves. The smell of mulch and petrichor had swept through the forest path like the rivers cut through the earth. As you thought of it, you hopped over a large stream, taking notice of the shiny pebbles at the bottom

"I would know because I grew up with the scents and the tastes of the forests. Rainbow trout smells much more different than salt and weeds to me. We have different scent receptors, the two of us, so what I smell is completely different. Like meat, but with more of a herbal and salty tang. Sort of like a toned down peppermint… no… that would be a saltwater minnow." You had gotten lost in your thoughts of fish, the delectable morsels not meeting your tongue in ages. You suddenly had a strong craving for seasoned tuna.

"-cooking that stuff? In a dark forest like this?" You brought yourself back into the conversation, noticing that Asriel and Chara were having a hard time keeping up with you. While you easily skipped and strided over the curling tendrils of brambles, the two constantly snagged on them and Chara cursed loudly as their foot got caught in a badger hole.

"Here. Let me help-" You went to help Chara but they screeched at you and attempted to pull themselves free. You felt yourself breathe sharply.

"Stop that! Never pull, stupid! Push, or you'll sprain your ankle trying to get it out!" You hissed at Chara smartly. You bent down to push at their ankle gently, your paws pushing her foot back into the hole. You felt the tightness evaporate, and with a few seconds of snipping away at the elder roots, Chara's ankles were free. You brushed the soil off of your white shirt and continued, Asriel and Chara hurrying to stay behind you.

"Thank you." Chara muttered from their place at your shoulder.

"It was no problem. I ran into the same mistake when I was a kid. Navigating the forest becomes easier with practice." You skimmed across a ditch and narrowly avoided a large bush of yew. Heaven knows what that stuff could do to you. It seemed that the three of you were getting closer and closer to the source until-

"Well, that's certainly not baking fish." Chara exclaimed sarcastically. The three of you had come face to face with a burning wooden house, the occupants screaming and rushing to try and get out. With a sickening lurch, you realized what was happening here. You could just barely hears the tortured screams of your father as he heaved your mother through the broken parlor window, you turning away as your mother's lifeless corpse had hit the ground below. You remembered that it had been smoking when you had found it.

"Hazel? What's-"

"Nothing to worry about. Watch it if you want, but I'm leav-"

"This was your house, wasn't it?" You continued walking away from the scene, the duo not bothering to follow you again. In the few moments of nearing the scene, the scent had changed. Stupid! Why the hell did you follow a strange scent? That asinine stunt could've gotten you killed! You stomped blindly through the woods, trying but failing to put the smell of burning wood out of your mind. You heard a few leaves rustle in front of you, shocked to see your much younger self sprinting in the direction of the fire. So you were in your memories? No thank you.

You sank against the sturdy trunk of an old oak tree, your eyes shut tight against the torrential rain that was now taking place. With a shudder of apprehension, you realized that you were resting against the Great Oak. The tree responsible for the deaths of many adolescents and unfortunate fauna. You remembered having to cut down multiple bodies from this tree. Heh. Heavy is the title.

This forsaken place used to be your home. A place that to you, was very unfortunate to come back to, what with all the bad memories. Despite the good memories, this place was infamous for suicide and murder. You once watched as a man and a woman were taken to this very tree and murdered. You watched the entire thing, and didn't once intervene. Why? What was the point? It was the primal instinct of humans to hunt and kill. What was the difference and why should you care?

It seemed that the two had caught up to you. They were both breathing heavily, and Chara was nearing you much faster than Asriel. As a matter of fact, he was carrying something in his hands and Chara was looking at the object was curiosity. As he neared closer, you made out the object in his hands. Oh no.

"Asriel. What is that in your hands?"

"I dunno. Chara and I found a huge cluster of them back in the forest. Why? Are they deadly?" He teased. You crossed your arms and glared at them. You let your ears flatten on your hair, your tail coming to rest in your lap.

"Only if you like death by spasms and suffocation. Those are yew berries. They're highly poisonous to human and monsters alike. Eating one berry is sufficient to death, as many uneducated stags have come to find. I recommend chucking those in a ditch and thoroughly scrubbing your hands in a stream." At that, Asriel squealed and threw the clump of berries as far away from him as possible. You chuckled teasingly and let your ears perk back up. No danger here.

"Is everything in this forest dangerous?" Chara grumbled as they sat next to you.

"This forest can provide for you or kill you. You can only yield good results if you know what to eat and how to obtain it. Majority of everything in this forest is clean. It's the small and tantalizing things that are deadly. Now you know not to eat yew berries. Lucky for you. I found out the hard way."

"The hard way?" Chara asked. The two of them had taken to sitting underneath the Great Oak, a few dappled emerald leaves falling wistfully in the gentle breeze that ruffled you hair. You shut your amber eyes in remembrance and thought back to your kit years.

"Yeah. I was near the border of some country and these bright scarlet berries were growing there. There was so many of them too. I hadn't eaten in days, so I was really hungry, but I remembered that majority of wild agriculture was poisonous. It was a cruel thing to do, but I purposefully made to watch somebody else eat them. Low and behold, a lone badger came up to the bush and swallowed a few. Before it could stomach another vine it began to suffocate on its own saliva and spit. Long story short, the badger died and I never ate the berries. Mother nature is a metal beast."

"You could say that again. You know that this isn't a dream, right." Chara quipped. You stopped in your sarcastic antics to stare at the red-haired child on your left. Asriel seemed to think otherwise.

"Yeah. If I were dreaming, I wouldn't have come back here, and I would've woken up a long time ago. If that's the case, what's taking place here?" You retorted angrily.

"I don't truly know. Perhaps the timeline is resetting again?" Chara muttered. They stared off into the distance with her ruby red eyes. The glint of the setting sun caught them and intensified their dazzling glow.

"It could be likely. But if that was the case, my memory would've been reset. How do you know about timelines? The others have mentioned it, but I don't remember falling asleep at all." You pondered over this befuddling situation, realizing that this dream was getting all sorts of boring. For the readers, that is. Welp. Time to get this show on the road then.

Your amber eyes flew upon with a start, a loud knocking startling you out of your dreams. With a whispered curse, you got out of bed and flew down the dark hall. The loud knocking seemed to be panicked, an urgency to the beatings. With a shout, you made your way into the dark parlor.

"Who's there at… THREE IN THE MORNING?! I'M GONNA GOUGE YOUR EYES OUT, YOU UNCOUTH HEATHEN!" You undid the deadbolts and ripped open the door to reveal… Chara? The kid, once noticing that the door was open, had promptly dashed inside and flattened themselves against a wall. You slowly shut the door, keeping your eyes on the child at all times.

"Chara? What are you doing in the waking world? Has Gaster sent you to beat me up or something? It's not even time yet. What did I do to deserve this?" You grumbled, and made your way into the kitchen, Chara stopping you in your tracks.

"Hold on, please. You remember me, right?" You had turned on your heel and stared at them as if they had sprouted another head.

"If you're referring to Chara from the weird dream, then yes. I remember you and your goat friend, Asriel." With a squeal, Chara had jumped onto you, their face becoming entrenched in your navy blue robes.

"That's good because I need to ask you for a favor!"

"Kid, I don't even know you." You sighed in exasperation.

"You didn't know Gaster and you helped him! I need your help too! That is, if you'll help me. But I know you will, so there's no point in arguing. Now come on! I don't like to be kept waiting." Chara had began to shove you forcefully out the door, your unsheathed claws sliding on the hardwood floors. You gave up and trudged behind Chara, forgetting to lock the door behind you. You immediately regretted it, seeing as how you were practically freezing your tush off in the snowy wonderland.

"So what's this favor?" You growled. Chara practically beamed at you.

"You know how you gave Gaster one of your lives when you resurrected him?"

"Yeah, and if you need me to give a life to your friend, then you'd better give me a reason as to why he deserves it. I'm not going to start handing out my lives like cheap cigars." You flatly stated. Chara seemed to expect this, and beamed even harder. Anymore, and their cheeks would split open.

"Okay. My friend Asriel is the son of the king and queen-"

"Knew it."

"Please don't interupt me." You gave Chara a thumb up and continued on. As the two of you walked further, you began to notice something. Nothing was moving. The snow hung suspended in the air and the snow under your paws didn't leave any prints. You looked to Chara for an explanation.

"Now I know that you've noticed what's happening. The reason is for us being stuck between the save files. Frisk just saved their progress, so all of the stuff that they've did is being saved into the timeline. Time is currently frozen, meaning that it will be three in the morning until you help me with my task. It takes a good while for things to save. Everybody else is stuck in a state of paralysis."

"So you're forcing me into helping you, is that it?"

"Yup! You know who Flowey is, right? Well, that's my good friend Asriel. We used to be siblings but we both died in a night's events. He didn't completely die, but he's without a SOUL. He lacks compassion, and that's where you come in!"

"Sorry kid, but I'm not about to relinquish one of my SOULs to a stranger."

"Not a SOUL, dumb dumb. A life. You still have three, right?"

"Yeah..?"

"Can you spare one for him? He didn't deserve to die the way that he did." You found yourself automatically agreeing with this child. A small pang of sympathy pierced through your heart, and you spoke in newfound accordance.

"Okay. So let's say that I agree with your terms. Does that mean that I have to bring you back too?"

"No. Asriel's being is tethered to that single buttercup. My being can freely roam around. I died on the surface, but Asriel's dust was scattered in the king's garden. Ring any bells?"

"Actually, it does." You remembered that sometime during your adventures through Waterfall, you had taken the time to stop and read the panels in the walls. They told the story of a fallen human and the monarch's offspring. The two were close like siblings, and the monster kingdom took to the human immediately. But the human child had gotten sick and died. The kid's dying wish was for the monsters to take them to their village of birth. The monarch's son had absorbed the human's SOUL and had traversed across the barrier, back to the human's village. They had made it to the center of the village, and had laid the child in the bed of golden flowers. The humans, seething with misunderstood rage, had attacked the monster and with no other option, the monster child had fled back to the underground. Fit with terrible wounds, the monarch's son had died before they could reach their parents and their dust was scattered around the king's garden. A tale fit for depression and heart wrenching sadness.

"So you do remember?" Chara giggled.

"Yeah. So what did you die from anyway? Bubonic plague, measles, buttercup toxic shock, smallpox, some other thing…?"

"I don't know. It just sort of came over me and next thing I knew, I was dead." Chara shrugged.

"Must be bad luck. Wait. When did we get into the Ruins?"

"If I can trap you within the confines of time and space, I can easily forgo something as simple as a wall."

"Keep talking like that, and you'll scare me away." You quipped sarcastically. You were nearing the very first room of the Ruins, the gnarled black tree petrified with age. The cherry red petals had withered away and the signs had been eroded.

"Come on now. Asriel always expects the worst."

"What do you-"

"Come on! It's not far now!" Chara had pulled you back into the flowered chamber, a lovely array of golden petals cascading from the ceiling. A lone buttercup was perked up among the dying flowers, their golden petals standing stock still in the tepid breeze. Perhaps he was frozen too? Chara had taken a tentative step forward, Flowey turning in perfect accordance.

"Chara? Oh ho ho! Back to destroy this timeline too eh? I thought that you had moved onto bigger and better things?" Flowey continued to jeer at Chara as the two of you had neared closer to the flower. He didn't even seem to take notice of you at all.

"Or perhaps you really didn't have anything better to do. I suppose that Frisk has been wiped out again, right?" Chara had slowly approached the flower, you staying away from the bobbing buttercup out of distrust. They had a sinister gleam of mischief in their eyes.

"Oh Assy. I have no idea what you're talking about. Frisk is merely saving their progress but that's not why I'm here. I know what you're referring to, but I'm choosing to ask this of you." You took this moment to step forward.

"Wait. What's this about destroying timelines?" Flowey had finally seen you in the background and realization had dawned on his face. Chara seemed to revel in the realizations.

* * *

" _why should i, you_ _ **genocidal maniac**_ _."~_

" _ **Chara**_ _?"~_

* * *

" _A long time ago in another timeline, this kid, whose name we won't mention, came to the underground. The kid was a demon who hated humanity, even the kind humans. They wanted to kill all the humans on the Earth, but_ _ **they died before**_ _they could challenge that threat. We don't know why they hated humanity, but we think it had to do with something from their past. Anyway, when this kid died,_ _ **they got trapped down here**_ _. But their ambition was strong. They needed someone with a strong amount of DETERMINATION to_ _ **play into their hands**_ _. That's where Frisk plays in."_

" _-this kid_ _ **took over Frisk's SOUL**_ _in multiple timelines, causing them to_ _ **commit mass genocide**_ _. After all, they needed enough power to wipe out the humans. Who cared if one or two monsters were hurt in the process?"_

* * *

" _Yeah. The whole time you were gone on your adventure, monsters had been disappearing from the Ruins. It was_ _ **a strange coincidence**_ _that the day you came out, you were covered with dust. It was also the day that the last known monster in the Ruins had gone missing. That's why I was so quick to kill you._ _ **I thought the kid had taken over your soul or something.**_ "

* * *

"You. It was YOU who they were talking about!" You snarled. Flowey grinned triumphantly at Chara, the beads of light in his eyes making them appear to be glossy.

"You committed the murders and then pinned them on ME!" Before you could lunge at the kid, Flowey had confirmed your statements with apparent glee.

"See? Even Lion here knows what you've done!"

"Pardon my excuses, but who's to say that you have proof of your wild accusations?" Chara chided at the two of you.

"Me. I've seen flashes of your sweater multiple times! You threw those monsters in that pit. You MURDERED the monsters in Snowdin and the Ruins! And now you're going to use me to resurrect you, is that it?!" You snarled at the child. You bared your fangs at the kid, who looked rather amused at your attempts to be intimidating. Flowey was having second thoughts about approaching you though.

"I haven't done anything. Is it too simple of a notion to assume that perhaps Frisk was pinning the blame on me? Is it too late to say that I tried to help them once and to think back on what happened? I'm using your lives only because you're new."

"New?! So I'm some sort of pawn in your game eh?"

"Yep! You're new here! Something that Frisk didn't count on when they last RESET. This game of cat and mouse had been going on for centuries! Do you really think that I would've brought you here if I was a murderer?" Chara questioned.

"Oh, I don't know! Who am I supposed to believe nowadays? Three of my old friends killed me, believing that you had possessed me, and that you were going to use my lives to start that sick game over again!" You screeched. It echoed around the cavern and made Flowey wince and duck under his petals.

"But that's just it! They think that I'm the bad guy! You think that's Frisk is such a goody two shoes? You said it yourself in that fancy dream of ours: it's in a human's primal instincts to hunt and kill. Do you really think that Frisk is the only exception?"

"That's not what I'm-"

"But it's exactly what you're thinking!" Chara cried. "The others have twisted and molded your mind to believe that I'm the bad guy and that Frisk is the good guy! Think of a savory adventure that you would never want to forget. You have the choice to redo it ALL OVER AGAIN so you do. You RESET and relive the tale over and over AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. Things get boring quickly. You start to work out new actions to play. Do you see where things are going? On their first time through here, I had to lead them through the Underground because they were utterly lost. After they killed a few times, they tried to find me and they did. Because they had that much over me, they began to use it to their advantage. Kill some monsters and then blame it on the big bad Chara! They could exploit me and make me real! The others began to believe Frisk's manipulated story of my treachery, and I'm a ghost. Who's going to believe me? No one. That's who." You stopped snarling at Chara, noticing that they weren't smiling anymore. They were scowling, and tears were threatening to fall from their glistening ruby red eyes.

"So why did you bring me here? To reveal all of this, or to help you bring back your brother? I don't know who to trust anymore, and it just seems like everything is out of order. First my friends kill me, then they fabricate a lie fit for a murderer, then you abduct me at three in the morning for a ghost and monster conference, and now I'm confronted by this. What am I supposed to believe? Am I supposed to be on Frisk's side and deny you life, so you'll keep me here? Or am I to take your side and bring you back to life? Who's lying? What if I bring you back to life and you kill everybody? What if Frisk saves and then resets and goes on a genocide campaign?" You futily clutched your head in your paws, your claws slowly digging into your skin. Small beads of blood begun to form. Flowey said nothing. You plowed on.

"And even so, there's nothing I can do about it. It's kill or be killed, and frankly, that's been my motto my entire life. So you two tell me: what am I to choose? Whose side am I supposed to take? Alleged savior or humble ghost child? Am I to bring back your brother for nothing? And more importantly, what will be the consequences of my actions?" You hissed.

"Too many what-ifs! I'm not asking you to rewire a bomb! All I ask is for you to consider that people aren't what they seem-" Chara cried but you cut them short.

"You think I don't know that?! I lived every day of my life knowing that a smile and a nod can get you stabbed in the back! I didn't expect that humans were so horrible but look where I am now! Why should I believe what you have to say?" You snarled again, your amber eyes slitted harshly against the constant light of the sun. Flowey had came to a complete stop next to you and was looking between the two of you.

"It's for a plan that I have. One that includes stopping every RESET. Something that will happen regardless in the end of this certain timeline." Chara deliberately looked towards Flowey who flinched. "I ask if you could sacrifice one of your lives so that you could give Asriel another chance at life. He'll take the part of Asgore when the barrier will be destroyed, and will put a stop to Frisk's menial tasks. When it ends, he'll go back to being a flower."

"So you're saying that I'll give him a life so that he'll use it to kill Frisk?"

"Not literally. When the children go to break the barrier, the magic from the human mages will steal all of the life essence from the children. Asgore will sacrifice himself to free the monsters and so will Frisk and the other children. But will Frisk really go through with it? If Asriel takes the place of Asgore, he can trap Frisk with him when he dies. Frisk won't be able to RESET anymore."

"So I play the part in giving Asriel the chance to do so. What happens afterwards?"

"Monsters will get the chance to actually live instead of being freed and then put right back in her cage again." Chara goaded. You grimaced.

"From what the others have told me, you hated humanity."

"And I still do. You and I have the same mindset when it comes to humanity. Humans know nothing but death and greed, and know no bounds of shame when it comes to materialistic items. I've been inside your thoughts. Haven't you felt it? Ever since that day where you saw me, I saw a great bout of potential and understanding in you. You've felt what it's like to try and live around humans. Nothing but death and destruction."

"Can you not-"

"No I will, just to drive the nail home. You've been wronged countless times just by living apart from humans. You've lost your family, your friends, and your compassion for the miracle of life. Even in your dreams, when you thought that I was dead, you didn't shed a single tear or show a single sign of remorse. When we came to your burning house, you refused to look at what the humans did: they took away your one good thing in life and continued to take from you. They did they same to me. Humans make fun of what they can't understand. I was tortured and almost killed as a kid just for having red eyes. The eyes of a demon. And look where it got me! I found more kindness in monsters than in humans!" Chara yelled. You understood.

"Yeah. I get where you're coming from, but wanting to kill other humans simply for other humans mistakes is your fault. I have the same fault too. Some humans aren't bad, but it's to the point where one being can tarnish their entire specie's record. Nobody's perfect, but if the children are going to die anyway, then why not? Sure. I'll let Asriel have another go at life. Are you sure that you don't want to be solid again?"

"NO! If I randomly appeared, then I would be killed in the same gory fashion that your friends had killed you in! Everybody believes that Asriel is a kindly angel. He wouldn't hurt a fly. If they asked him how we came back, he would probably say that he had lots of DETERMINATION or something. They'd believe it because it's Asriel we're talking about here."

"Alright. Alright. I've done this whole song and dance before. So are you just gonna kill me or are you going to extract one of my lives?" You asked Chara. They seemed to calm down and a tear of two slid down their cheeks at your nod.

"Wow Chara! You're actually crying!" Flowey teased. Chara immediately wiped away the tears in a huff.

"No I'm not! That's just eye sweat! Anyway, the SAVE is about to end. I'll possess Flowey and when the SAVE finishes, I'll possess your human SOUL, and I'll transfer one of the lives into Flowey. You'll wake up at home, safe and sound. Rest assured, we'll visit you when Asriel gets a hold of his body. You won't feel a thing. It's like those times that you die and you respawn."

"Okay." You stretched your kinked tail, the bones of your long appendage snapping back into place. Chara winced. You chuckled.

"Alright Hazel. It's time. Flowey, are you ready?" Flowey gave a nod of his petals. With a silent swoosh, Chara had disappeared. Flowey gave a sudden violent jerk before raising again, his features perfectly natural.

"Ready?" He asked in a tone that suggested that Chara was indeed possessing him. You gave a swift nod and closed your eyes. You could feel the oxygen in your lungs freeze with time and within an instant, you felt the darkness creeping into your mind. No pain. Alrighty then. Let's see where this goes!


	29. Inexcusable Excuses

The Redeeming of a Soul

You groaned and stared boredly at the arch of golden light that twinkled above you. Whatever you just did would either be the downfall of you, or it would make things slightly better. Either way, you just fucked with the original flow of this timeline. Then again, time was already getting fucked up before you even fell down here. All you knew was that you had a searing migraine. You shut out the sinister golden light, opting instead to cradle your head within your paws and sit on the hard floor of the void. While it didn't make anything better, it would ease the tension that came with standing on your paws.

You gave an angry hiss as the invisible bell begun to toll, the obnoxious ringing making your migraine worse. It felt as though some bulky mammoth was trying to rip your frontal lobes apart. You were opting to just paralyze yourself, but let's not forget that self-paralyzation isn't something that you could just walk out of. You felt the chiming of the bell distinctly fade away, leaving you with the blank background of the infamous void. If Gaster was still here, he would probably serenade you with a little ditty of the Periodic Table song. It was a good thing that you were so charitable, otherwise your whiskers wouldn't be in such a stitch.

"Mm. Hmm?" You felt something damp slip over your eyes before something rubbed it away. Whatever is was was very wet and-

"I think they're awake! Toriel! Get the rags!" You recognized that voice anywhere. You rubbed at your eyes, but gasped as a sharp pain in your forehead contradicted you. With a faint hiss, you dropped your arms again, grumbling as Alphys moved your arms to mop at your warm and clammy forehead.

"Alphys? Where am I?" You rasped weakly. Alphys shushed you with her hand and called for Toriel again.

"They're awake? Thank goodness!" Four new figures had made themselves known, as two were actively trying to rip your arms away from your face.

"Quit it. My head feels like somebody dropped a boulder on it fifty times.." You felt your head swim and steady, a feeling of nausea settling in the pit of your stomach. The group of five appeared to be talking about you, but you couldn't make out their words. You opted to sleep instead, noticing that their talk had diminished as soon as you had closed your eyes again. You turned away from the five and put your paws over your eyes, hoping that the pain would go away soon.

"My child! Don't fall asleep!" Toriel cried. The sheer pitch of her voice was enough to make your head spin again. You nestled your head further into the deep dark abyss of the couch and remained there, a small pressure against your back forming. That was nice.

"Too loud… what happened?" You rasped again, your voice getting stronger. Toriel spoke in a soft whisper on her next reply.

"I think it would be best to say that you've done something… strange. Perhaps he should tell you of your deed himself."

"Who..?" The others had quickly moved away as a fifth figure had penetrated the midst, their scent making you drowsy. The smelled of buttercups and a slight hint of cocoa.

"I hope you don't mind but I'll be helping with your headache. While it may not be the best solution, you've lost a lot of magic energy, so the solution will help get some back into your system. It's cold." You winced as Alphys had laid a icy cloth over your head, a small buildup of warm magic energy casting away the nausea. A rasping voice began to speak, their voice becoming deeper.

"Howdy. I suppose that you remember me, right?" They spoke. You grunted futily and flattened your ears as another cold cloth had been pressed down.

"No… I can't seem to remember anything. Other than my helpers, I guess. You smell nice though…"

"What?"

"Nothing. Who're you?" You grunted.

"My name is Asriel-"

"Ok. Now I remember you. You're the one who gave me this headache. You and your friend in the…. the thing…. *yawn*" You gave a feeble yawn and rested your head again, noticing that your headache was indeed decreasing.

"Yeah. I don't think it's best to mention Chara." Asriel whispered the last part so silently, that you were sure that only you could hear him. Alphys applied another rag.

"Sure. So you're here now? Solid and prime?"

"Yep. It's a shame of what happened."

"Nah. At this rate, I'm definitely handing out my extra lives like cheap cigars. Are you sure that you don't want the other?" Alphys perked up at your exchange, her dulled claws gently pressing down on the cold rags. You felt much better now.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I'll be meeting with them later so there's no need to worry."

"Uh. Who are you guys talking about?" Alphys inquired.

"A friend." You and Asriel said at the same time. Asriel seemed to be surprised at the coincidence, but you chuckled and relaxed as the steady press of the cold rag eased your headache. Kudos to Alphys. You would have to make sure and thank her for this. It only then dawned on you that the others were still in the room. Still listening to your conversation.

"Mm. So I have a question for you Asriel."

"Shoot away."

"I never asked Gaster but… is it entirely your own or are there still some traces? You can never be too sure." You rasped. Enough to where only Asriel and Alphys could hear.

"Well of course there are some remaining traces. While it's technically mine, there are some leftover bits of data and debris. Not enough that you should worry about. It only comes up when you come into play."

"Physical or mental?"

"Both."

"Oh." You swallowed hard, noticing that the faint traces of nausea were coming back. You opened your amber eyes with hesitation, coming to face a tall monster looking down on you. The monster had snowy white fur with ivory horns growing out of their skull. Ruby red eyes of a softer hue gazed down at you.

"Then can I ask you two things? The first question was the question that I just asked you. The second question is this; can you bar yourself from digging too deep? I'd appreciate it if my thoughts and memories remain my own. I would like to keep my secrets to myself, if you can handle it."

"Of course I'll abide to your request. I wouldn't want somebody digging around in my SOUL either. Besides. The only reason I said what I did about some faint traces remaining was because, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not you. You could imagine how hard it was to walk when I thought I had haunches but I have knees instead." Asriel joked.

"Ok. Just checking."

"Hey Lion." Alphys quipped. You opened your maw to speak, but Asriel beat you to the punch.

"Did you know that Lion's real name is Hazel?"

"W-what? Wow!" You glared at Asriel, who shot you a toothy grin before rising and leaving. The others had slowly filtered back in. Oh. Everyone was here. Asriel had gone into another room, the sounds of his footsteps dying away. You appeared to be kept in a parlor, the group situated around you beside a wool couch. Toriel and Asgore sat next to your head, Undyne was looming over your face, Alphys was above your line of vision, still pressing down cold rags, Sans and Papyrus sat beside your legs, and the various children were cropping up all over the place. One of them was very close to your tail. You instinctively made for your tail to tuck itself away from the grabby children, nestling it safely underneath a blanket.

"Huzzah. How long have I been here Tori? I feel a bit better so I might be able to leave-"

"Oh no you don't! You're staying here until I say that you're ready to go. You've been unconscious for twenty-five hours. We were sure that you were dead but Alphys had checked the pulse of your SOULs."

"Oh. Okay then. I guess that you'll be coddling me to your heart's content, am I right?" Toriel stifled a chuckle and filed away, leaving for Frisk to take their spot.

"Hey." You rasped. You caught Sans's attention. "You guys still haven't told me who all of these kids are. Here I am wrapped up like a paralyzed caterpillar and all these kids are using me like a jungle-gym. Heh heh. Just kidding. I know you three, but who are the rest?" You remembered Oliver, Frisk, and Sue, but had no idea who these other children were.

"I'm Marylynn. This is Franny, Trevor, and Claira. It's nice to meet you, Ms. Hazel." Marylynn eyed you very nervously, as if afraid that you would lunge at her. You chuckled.

"Please. Call me whatever you want, as long as it's something that you wouldn't want me calling Toriel. Nice to meet you all." You yawned again, but stopped when you heard a little gasp from your right. You slowly turned your head, coming to face a young boy with dirty blonde hair. His green eyes seemed to sparkle beside yours.

"Woah."

"Woah what?"

"You have huge fangs! That's so cool!" You could hear a reprise of "BUT NOT AS COOL AS I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS" from the kitchen. Apparently, Papyrus had left a few minutes ago. You paled and fixed your muzzle again.

"My fangs are sharp. That happens sometimes."

"Woah. So you're a cat monster right? Like a cat on the surface?!"

"Trevor!" But the boy paid no mind as he absentmindedly begun to play with your ears.

"Trevor! That's rude!" Claira screeched from her position by your tail. Sans sat behind her, apparently itching to say something, but not in front of the others. You laughed and let Trevor play with your ears, making them twitch away from his hands, much to his displeasure.

"I'll be right back Lion. I have to go and switch out the rags!" Alphys exclaimed before excusing herself.

"It doesn't bother me. Just don't pull anything. They're extremely sensitive. But not too sensitive. I'm not a bomb." At that, Trevor plunged his tiny hands into your hair, Claira gasping but then going to play with your tail. Darn kids. Frisk joined happily in the fun, Franny joining them as the three kids begun to try and catch your tail.

"As to answer your question Trevor, I'm am not descended from a common human house cat. You forget that I'm a monster-"

"But you're LIKE a cat, right?" Claira squealed and tried to pry Trevor off of you but that kid was stuck on you like glue.

"I suppose that if you can compare me to a cat, then I have no choice but to say yes." Trevor had positively beamed at you before running into the kitchen. Claira had dashed out after him and Franny followed.

"hey kid. mind givin' me and the kit some privacy?" Frisk nodded and ran out of the room with the others. That left you and Sans to TALK. You blinked at the skeleton to your immediate right before closing your eyes, your tail stilling and curling around your left leg. The two of you shared a minute or two of silence before you finally broke it.

"So you wanted to talk to me about something? I don't mean to be rude but I'm not telepathic. Pretty cool if you have the skill, though." But there was no laugh to Sans this time. You opened your eyes and stared at him, his eye sockets devoid of any light or emotion. You sighed and sat back against the headrest, your paws laid gently across your chest.

"Let's cut to the chase. You shooed the kids out of here for a reason and that reason involves me. Stop me if i'm incorrect. You should try talking. It would make things easier." You rasped, your head beginning to throb again. Whatever Alphys was using was soothing your headache, but without her, it was slowly coming back.

"it's kind of hard to accept that you don't hate us or anything anymore." Sans finally said, the lights in his eyes coming back. You blinked and scowled at the skeleton beside you.

"Stop that. If I truly hated you, then I would've scrimped out of here already. I don't hate you guys, nor will I ever. Those four years between us were just the years that I was afraid that everybody was on my case. You could imagine that if the king was after you, then you would want to hide, right?" Sans nodded but was frantically looking at anything other than you. You gave an exasperated sigh and sat up fully. You head began to swim but you beat away the pain. You finally broke.

"You know what? I feel fine! I think I'm just going to leave anyway."

"you wouldn't." Sans had finally forced himself to look at you.

"I would, if this is the way that things are going to go on! I know that you think that things are awkward between the group and me, and that's fine! Everybody is taking to me as if I'll disappear and never come back!"

"you could-"

"But I won't!" You roared. "You all think that just because I leave for a few days without notice, that I'm leaving forever-"

"well you said that you would check in with us when you left to go and figure out that tablet."

"Oh! Would YOU like to go back to your friends after one of them MURDERED YOU IN COLD BLOOD?!

* * *

Papyrus and the others listened from the other side of the kitchen archway as you screeched in cold fury.

"Oh! Would YOU like to go back to your friends after one of them MURDERED YOU IN COLD BLOOD?!

"that's not what i-"

"The hell you didn't! You make it seem as if I'm the bad guy! Well I'm not and I don't take to being accused of breaking an oath that I didn't make! You, Undyne, AND Asgore all murdered me without a word of, sorry! Or, we didn't know that it was really you! None of you even checked my stats, but then again, why would you? What does it matter to any of you? What I'm up to is MY BUSINESS! I don't go poking my snout in your affairs, nor do I care about where you guys are, or what you're doing at every interval of the day! This is exactly like that time where I got into a fight with Toriel! I don't need a nanny, nor do I want one! I appreciate your concern and likewise, but you're starting to get on my nerves with this."

"we're not trying to-"

"You are. I've told you once, and I'll tell you again: I don't need, nor do I want any help and/or pity. I've fought for my own survival all my life and I don't need to be told twice that there are dangers in the world! I've been pelted with arrows, poisoned, caught in a bear trap, almost got my neck slit, mauled by a badger, and then some, and you guys think that I'd be in danger from taking a step outside!"

"kid-"

"Kid? I'm no child. I've slaughtered multiple beasts that are bigger than me with my bare hands and I've murdered fair innocents who didn't deserve it apparently. I've watched as multitudes of adolescents took their own lives and I've seen the euthanization of life that has yet to grow! I've bathed in the dust of slain monsters and to this day, I have to live with the fact that I'll never get rid of them! Do you think it's fun? Do you think I life getting up every morning knowing that I live in a deserted dusty wonderland of forgotten corpses and frozen debris? You think I like knowing that the ghosts of those monsters are following me with every step that I take? I can see them you know. It's anything but fun."

"lion-"

"I'm done. I'm quite literally sick of being in this way that I am. I'm sick of being the 'scapegoat!' I'm sick of having to deal with the dead! I'm sick of dying and having to tiptoe across conversations. Whenever I talk to any of you, you guys purposefully bring it into the mix. I'm tired of it. I've put it behind me. So far, I've put everything behind me. I tell myself 'life goes on' everytime that I get up and walk out to meet them. I forgot about the 'human hunt'. I forgot about the murders. I forgot about the catacomb job. I forgot about the battles in between disappearing. Why? Because I'm used to it! I wouldn't bat an eyelash if guards crashed in the place and said that Waterfall was closing down! Why would I care about losing a few measly lives?"

"lion! listen kid. we're not trying to-"

"No. I'm done. I refuse to listen. I just wanna go back home. To my real home. But I can't, so I'll make do with Snowdin for the time being." Papyrus tentatively peered around the corner. You had stood up from the couch so fast that Sans barely had time to register.

* * *

"I'm going back to Snowdin. Do what you want, but I'm leaving." You made to leave, your amber eyes dull and clouded with anger. Sans had gripped your wrist is a vice grip, his pinprick eyes burning holes into your own. You made to snatch it away but he held on tighter, dragging you down with every tug.

"Let go!" You hissed.

"you're not well enough to leave. sit back down."

"I can choose how healthy I am, thank you very much." You made to pull away again, but this time, Sans pulled you down quite hard. You fell ungracefully back onto the couch, and much to your disbelief, his gravity magic kept you tethered to it. You thrashed and hissed against your holds, Sans eyeing you with solemn pity.

"What do you plan on doing now? It's not like you have much to go on with. All you guys do nowadays and beat around the bush and pretend that I'm a fragile bomb."

"well, with that little show that you put on a minute ago, i'd say that you are one." You glared at the skeleton beside you, his left arm hovering above your chest, as to reinforce the gravity. You could feel the heavy weight sitting on your chest. You growled lowly and stopped your movements.

"You sure know how to get under my skin, you know that?"

"apparently, i don't know much about you." As Sans had retorted, Toriel and Alphys had came out from the kitchen, Alphys carrying a bucket of water and some rags. Toriel approached you slowly.

"My child? We would like to have a word with you."

"You've had eleven so far, but sure. Make my day, Toriel. Let's see how much worse this stalemate can get." You grumbled to yourself. Toriel had seated herself next to you, a small notepad in her hands. Undyne and Papyrus had came to sit next to you, their gazes curious and burning.

"What's with the notepad? Here to study me like an interesting piece of a new specimen? I've had it up to my ears with that so go ahead."

"My child. I've heard you say many times that you've lived your life independently. But it's been bothering me for the longest time since you've left. You don't like to be put in the center of attention and you like to keep to yourself. From what you've told me about you and Sue, I have a feeling where you're coming from. Your parents… were they… um-"

"Like Sue's parents?" You filled in for her. Toriel nodded grimly. You ran your paw over your face and relaxed.

"In a way, yes and no. To be bluntly honest, while I say that they we were very close, we weren't. My parents had a high level of LV, meaning that they felt little to no compassion for daily things. That's how I grew up knowing them. Sure, they cared for me during my infant years, when I could hardly survive without the care of others, but when they deemed that I was old enough, they just…. left me… to carry on and let nature take its course. And I don't hate them for it either. I don't blame then. I learned how to do things on my own. I learned what was poisonous, and what wasn't. I learned how to create and wield arrows and how to take down my own food. I learned how to keep myself out of trouble and away from the human eye."

"So they didn't teach you anything?" Toriel asked sadly. You shrugged.

"I mean, they taught me some English before they left me be, and it's not like they left me to die. If I survived the year, they would hunt me down and then we'd take a breather for a week or two. Information was distributed among us and then the cycle would begin again. I never cared. I would climb a mountain and go on a quest of learning, and if I didn't get mauled by something, they would come back for me. Simple."

"Lion. That's anything but simple. That's messed up." Undyne grumbled. Everybody was looking at you with either pity or sadness.

"Maybe to you, but not to me. If I was ever in trouble, I could just seek them out. I knew my way home, wherever I was. Even across miles and miles of land, I could always go back. Besides. They may not have shown compassion, but that doesn't matter. The fact that they always came back for me was enough. They've saved me from myself a lot, and without them, I wouldn't be here. Literally."

"But they still left you on your own. When you say that they came back for you, did they just bring you back and leave you to their own devices? Was it just tense all the time, or did they just not talk to you during breaks?" Undyne asked. You blinked and smiled.

"No you idiots. You keep thinking that they're heartless megalomaniacs. They were just hardened by years on the surface. Multiply that with the fact that they had to look after me, and that makes it worse. Humans were already on our case when I was an infant. After three years, they called it quits and decided to let me teach myself. I took to it with flying colors. When we had our breaks, we would go hunting together, or they would teach me something new. They say that those with high levels of LV feel no compassion, but they're wrong. Those smidgens of breaks were when they were trying their hardest. I never had to impress them, and they never had to impress me."

"If that's the case, why did the three of you even disband in the first place?" Toriel inquired.

"I AGREE WITH TORIEL. THAT DOES NOT SEEM LIKE A MATERNAL THING TO DO WITH A CHILD OF THREE YEARS." Papyrus claimed.

"Like I said: maybe to you, but not to me. The main reason that we disbanded was because it would be harder to throw humans off our tails if we stuck together. By disbanding and journeying alone, we would fare a much greater chance at survival. As a bonus, I would get to travel across the continent, we could get beneficiary herbs and cures, and I would get a chance to see what was out there. When I was a kid, I snuck out during the night to try to see the stars. Dad was always talking about them, and mom was totally clueless if they even existed near Ebott. They were right, and I could barely see any of the stars. On my second year of journeying, I came across this plain in the middle of Canada. Or was it Mexico? Anyway, there were no civilizations for miles, so when the night came, I could see every star that our solar system had to offer. It looked exactly as how the textbooks looked. What's more is that it happened on the last day of the year. They came to get me during the middle of the night and they got to see the stars too. Mom said that, and I quote, "how the hell does that even work?" My dad and I had lectured her about science all night afterwards." You regarded the memory with fondness, the other's looks of pity slowly but gradually fading.

"So your parents weren't heartless monsters?" Toriel asked. You blinked and thought back to a few more memories.

"Well I wouldn't say that." Sans nearly spit out his drink. "They were fond of me but wouldn't hesitate to snap a human's neck. How do you think that I know so much about human anatomy? Why do think that I refrain from being around too many humans? Just because I'm nice to the kids, doesn't mean that I'm not prepared to spill blood. When I was a kitten, I was responsible for so many casualties, you have no idea. I was trained in the family profession after all. I was born a hunter. Nothing more to say on the matter." Toriel had discarded her notebook entirely; much to your discomfort, Papyrus decided to bring up the previous subject.

"MONSTER CHILD. YOUNG DREEMUR HAS TOLD US SOME…. THINGS."

"Heh heh. I thought you guys were going to have an aneurysm when he came back. Did you though?"

"No, we did not. Asgore did." Toriel greeted with a laught. You laughed and let them continue. Where did he go, anyway?

"My child. How many lives do you have left?"

"I think you know the answer to that Toriel. I only have two left. There are special conditions now that I have two. One life for the monster SOUL and one life for the human SOUL. I'm not so invincible anymore. If I die again, depending on which SOUL that I lose, I lose that attribute."

"... What the heck does that mean?" Undyne questioned you. Alphys had started working at your forehead again.

"It means that I'm made up of two things; definite physicality and magic. My SOULs divide up the two. If I were to lose my human SOUL; I would lose all physicality and be entirely made up of magic. That would kill me in itself. After all, I have the internal structure of a human. If I was stripped of it, I would die because magic wouldn't be able to flow properly. I was born wired for the two. If I lost my magic, then I would probably survive, albeit not being able to count on my fire or electricity magic. That would suck."

"Then stop giving away all of your lives!"

"Calm down. I can't give out any more. If I were to have given away two in one deal , then I would've perished." You heard Asriel give a little gasp from beside Alphys. "I gave my last leftover life so that he would have another chance at life. Don't do something stupid with it, ya' hear?"

"Yes ma'am!" You laughed again and settled back into a laying position.

"And for what it's worth-" You rasped out,"- Gaster will be working me down to the bone, so there's no need to worry about me going out and about…. I'll just be… doing some… stuff….?" The medicine and magic energy in Alphys's solution had caused you to fall asleep. You head had went limp, your ears coming to droop beside the sides of your head. Trevor had dashed out of the kitchen with a saucer of milk and a few leaves of catmint on the side. Once he had noticed that you were asleep, he pouted.

"Aw man! I wanted to give this to her!"

"You know that's like alcohol to cats, right?" Marylynn chided from the kitchen.

"No! It just makes them drowsy!" Claira squealed.

"Does not!" Franny teased.

"Does too!" Oliver teased as he passed them by. Frisk took the saucer of treats from Trevor and placed them on the coffee table, where you were bound to see them when you woke up.


	30. More Work To Do

The Wrath Of A Child

A shock of a cold wind ruffled the fur of your ears gently, the sound of rustling leaves sounding somewhere behind you. You could smell a clump of coltsfoot growing somewhere nearby, a a tang of tansy making you open your eyes. It was nighttime. The navy blue sky was hidden behind a band of dark clouds spanning across the sky. The sound of torrential rain had yet to make itself noticeable, but the smell of petrichor was heavy behind the herbs. With a grunt, you stumbled to your paws, noticing that your tail was snagged on something. You carefully untangled your tail away from the brambles, coming to find yourself in a dark forest of sorts. It reminded you of… home. But there was no way that you were here. This was probably a dream of sorts. As if on cue, Chara came stumbling out of the undergrowth.

"Are you going to keep invading my dreams, or what?" You grumbled. Chara pulled themself off the floor of the forest and smirked at you.

"What the heck are you smirking at me for? I just wanna sleep. Is that too much to ask for Chara?" Chara came up behind you and clasped a hand onto your shoulder.

"Well, of course I'll be invading your dreams. After all, it was YOU who had offered me a second life, but you didn't specify-"

"OH NO. You are NOT possessing me in any shape, size, or form! Don't even-"

"I wasn't talking about that, idiot. I'm merely invading your dreams as a way of communication between me, you, and Asriel. I can invade his dreams too, but between you two, that's about it. I wouldn't bother invading Frisk's dreams anymore. Besides. Your dreams are much more exciting than Asriel's!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Make a meteor fall down." Chara requested.

"Okay." With a roll of your eyes, you made a meteor fall down. The ground shook with the impact of the meteor, a sea of debris flying over your head. Was it hot in here, or was it just you? Suddenly, a thunderous amount of screams sounded off from the city. Sizzling embers flew through the air, sparking a wildfire in your wake. Chara seemed to smile wider at your summoning. "So what? It's a lucid dream. I can make things happen with my will. What's the big point?" You questioned Chara.

"Take a look at what you've done. You've caused a mass scale meteor to fall on a city, and it had no repercussions on you. Thusly, you don't care. Even with the screams of the dying, you just continued walking. Strike anything within you?"

"Not particularly. Why do you ask?"

"Because. It shows that your LV really DOES wear off on you."

"Just because I have a high level of violence doesn't mean that I'm an uncaring psychopath. I still care, but not for humans. I could care less-"

"Would you care if those humans were the children at Toriel's?"

"No. I wouldn't care. Death is not the enemy, but merely their own stupidity. If humans have the intelligence to detect meteors and threats to their lives, then they should get out of the way. Those humans in the town should've been warned and they should've evacuated, but they didn't. Whoever died was at fault for their own ignorance." You casually dismissed Chara's topic, strolling solemnly into the dark forests. Chara came with you.

"But you don't show a high level of compassion, do you?" You stifled a low growl in your throat and glared at the human beside you.

"I don't and I don't care. I never have, nor will I ever-"

"Because you were born with it?"

"Yeah, sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"I don't sleep."

"Woe is you. At least you don't have to dream." You continued on walking but Chara had taken a firm grip of your arm.

"Look. What do you see?" You had stopped alongside Chara, growling lowly as for their continuous stopping. Huh? You didn't remember this inlet back in the forest. The two of you stood in a sandy hollow, the ferns and wildflowers rustling as the two of you intruded upon their tranquility. Chara stood against a harsh torrential rain that almost toppled them over the precarious cliff. Below you spanned the destruction and turmoil of the lost city. Skyscrapers and factories sat in ruin, the wreckage vast and deep. The decrepit bodies of humans sat splayed across the land, many unmoving and rotting. Chunks of earth had been thrown up in the meteors wake, and with it, the familiar feeling of pity.

So many had died from your careless mistake, but this was a dream. Everybody below wasn't real, and neither was your dream self. Chara was merely playing with your emotions to try and spark some compassion out of you. You scoffed and turned on your heel, Chara following after you.

"What did you see?" Chara asked again.

"I saw the sheer stupidity of humans and how everything that they pride themselves on had killed them in the end. I don't care for what you're trying to do. I may not have a lot of compassion and that's fine by me. It's not like I have anybody to waste it on."

"Let me ask you a question. If your parents were still alive, do you think that they would show you more compassion then you've shown for the past few minutes?" You stopped and gazed upwards at the trees, you eyes coming to face the full moon. It just happened to be a soft yellow, your amber eyes clouded and lifeless beneath its rays.

"I don't know."

"Do you miss them?"

"I- Wait. Why are you even bringing this up? What do my parents have to do with this dream? Nothing, that's what-"

"See? Did I spark something in you?" You huffed and faced away from Chara, the forest floor becoming wet with rain. Somewhere, deep inside your subconscious, you remembered something that you had put away from yourself. The first time that your parents had left you be, you had felt a deep pang of loneliness that had echoed but had remained unanswered. How you had lived a full year in the depths of your darkest thoughts, and that concentration of loneliness had multiplied so much that it hurt you to think.

"You know, I can read your mind-"

"Stop that! My thoughts are my own!" A small memory of you discovering rain for the first time had sprang to life, your tinier self twirling and skipping through the icy rain. You couldn't have been happier. Mother nature was mysterious and beautiful.

"Nice summary." Chara grinned at you, their reddish-brown hair dripping with rain. You took a moment to stop growling.

"Aren't you gonna get sick? No wait. We're in a dream so we wouldn't feel cold or anything, right?" You pondered this for a few moments, yowling when a slop of water had soaked through your shirt.

"Heh heh. Pay attention kitty. We're almost there. Keep walking." There was no point in fluffing out your fur, so you let the water sink in. With a searing scowl, you noticed that Chara held a waxy leaf in their hand. It was slowly filling up with rainwater.

"Anger, check. Loneliness, check. Sadness, check. Happiness, check. What else can I make you feel?"

"How about annoyance? Why can't I just wake up? I don't want to be up here anymore, nor do I want to be wet."

"But I thought you liked the rain? You like the rain, just as much as you like oranges, the smell of lilacs and orchids, the forests, and every other simple thought that runs through that head of yours. Correct me if I'm wrong." You let Chara go on, your paws roaming the depths of the forest until-

You felt a cool breeze ruffle the interior of your ears.

"Oh! You're up! It's about time punk!" You opened your amber eyes, the interior of your thoughts being grimdark and depressing. Undyne was sitting on a wool couch to your immediate right. Everybody else was in there too. You put a clammy paw to your forehead, a minor headache blossoming from the depths of your head.

"Can someone please explain what's going on? I feel like someone just tore my brain stem out with a pair of tweezers."

"WHAT'S A BRAIN STEM?"

"Nothing. Human stuff, I guess. Anyway, where am I and why?" Toriel, although slightly befuddled, was first to answer.

"It appears that your home is no longer safe. You are within my home young one. Do you not remember?"

"Wait. What do you mean?" You were still bedraggled and slightly confused by your dream with Chara.

"You cannot return home, young one. It is too dangerous. I request that you stay here with me." Toriel murmured. You blinked slowly, your eyes adjusting to the dim lighting in the room.

"How long have I been out?" You asked as you sat up.

"A couple hours, my dear. Are you okay? You slept for a very long time." Shit. You need to go to Gaster. Like now. He was probably pissed at your late punctuality.

"I'm fine Toriel, but I have to go! I'm late!" You hastily got to your paws, dusting yourself off. Your headache had increased its strength but you would have to endure for just a little longer. A strong hand had suddenly wrapped around your wrist.

"Wait! You cannot go! You're not well enough!" Toriel cried, her ruby red eyes boring into yours. Okay, this was just starting to get annoying. Nobody was going to baby you. Not even goat mom. You angrily snatched your arm away from the concerned motherly goat and huffed away your anger.

"Toriel. I've lost seven lives so far and I'm perfectly fine and healthy. I don't care if I have to drag myself there. I have work to do. Yes, I'll come right back afterwards. A little stab wound isn't going to paralyze me even if it did happen. Besides, it's gone already and I'm perfectly fit. I'm out! I'll be back around dusk." With that, you hurtled through the door, leaving your group of friends and an angry Undyne behind.

Your paws skimmed briskly over the grass walkways, the cold breeze whipping through your hair as you ran four-legged through the interior of Waterfall. Shit. You were very late. You were never late. Fuck.

It was around the early morning so nobody was out, leaving the walkways perfectly empty. It was nice to run on all fours because running on two legs was comparable to running while being constipated. To feel your heart beating faster and faster, and to feel your legs connect and leave the ground with subtle symmetry... But why was breathing so much work? It didn't take long for you to reach the deserted hallway, your paws screeching to a halt. A pale white doorway sat at the end of the corridor, its silver handle begging you to turn it. You stopped at the door and caught your breath. You turned the handle.

"I told you to be here at five, not at seven. And I suppose that you should be taking back your promise? You were due here two days ago." Sigh. There was Gaster, scalding as always towards your intuitive behavior. Gaster was sometimes fun to be around, but his patience was thin and punctuality was a pet peeve of his, and the guy had a tongue like sandpaper. You've heard him chew out a guy once for not properly handling the delivery of test tubes. You hoped to never be on the receiving end of his anger.

"Well, EXCUSE ME! I guess losing a life doesn't get paid time off, now does it? Sorry I'm late G. Didn't expect it to come up, is all." You heard a sharp intake of breath. Why is everybody so concerned about how many lives you have? It's none of their business. You don't go poking into his, so he needs to keep his nonexistent nose (socket?) out of yours.

"You lost a life? Are you alright?" Gaster said, as he whipped about the lab.

"Yes, Gaster. If I wasn't okay, then you would have to miss out on a day of my fabulosity. What a shame that would be." Being spontaneously sarcastic was a gift.

"I guess the sass master is back now, huh?" Gaster smirked. Ugh. You hated that word: sass. You could be sassy at times, but you never liked the word.

"You asked for the sass master. You'll get the sass master." You grabbed your pearly white lab coat from out of your inventory, pulling it on over your casual clothes and leaving it open. Buttoning it was too stiff and you liked it open. You were intimidating enough as is. You didn't need to make a kid piss their pants at your overwhelming presence.

"Anyway, we have to stop in town to get some stuff before we set out. Do you have the food ready?" You went to the pantry in the wall and pulled out a crate full of frozen nice creams and a ton of wrapped glamburgers. You could feel the grease pooling at the bottom of the wrapper. The amalgamates seemed to have a big appetite. And a hunger for diabetes.

"Yes, sir!" Gaster had to take care of some secret business in the true lab today. Thus, he had to take you with him for assistance. And by assistance, that meant feeding the amalgamates and being his messenger to lug stuff from one room to the other. But this time, unlike the last time you were there, you get to goof around and do random shit within the walls. It sounded like your typical day. And your typical days were fun days.

"Then let us set off. Hurry! If we miss the morning slumber than we'll get caught in the traffic."

"Okay." The two of you set out the door, locking it behind you, even though you didn't have to, as the door would vanish when you left. That didn't stop you from taking precautions. You could never be too sure. The cold breeze ruffled your lab coat, unsettling the perfect sleeves you had rolled up. Damn! Oh well. It's always fun to hit Gaster in the back of the head with your sleeve slack. He did hit back fiercely, though. You remembered the one time when you guys had a full on sleeve brawl in the laboratory. Heh. Good times.

Before you knew it, the newest town of Waterfall came into view. A few random monsters were flitting about, chatting with the marketers but that was generally all. You followed Gaster through the marketplace, stopping with him at a weird shop. The guy who ran it sold strange knick-knacks and weird elixirs. Black magic or something that you didn't want to know about was often put up for sale. The two were engaged in a vigorous conversation about something that had to do with slime. You didn't like to eavesdrop so you tried to zone out.

Yeah, you tried. It's kinda hard to try when you spot your entire group of friends eyeing you from across the marketplace. Even the children were there. Nosy fuckers. Welp. You decided to fix your sleeves in the meantime. As of now, they were drooping down to your thighs. You managed to fix the left one, rolling it up seven to eight times before it stopped coming undone. Success! Now for the right one.

"Are you done fiddling with your sleeves?" Gaster had finished with his conversation, a strange paper bag in his arms. You were so close to finishing! Oh well. You'll save it for another time.

"Yep!"

"Let's move." With that, the two of you moved swiftly past your group of friends, not even sparing them a glance as you passed. You heard Sans intake a breath and Alphys drop her glasses, but you still didn't stop.

* * *

It took a long while but the two of you had successfully gotten into the true lab. Gaster had built a secret passageway through time and space there, as you both couldn't sneak your way in since the guards had laboriously taken post there. And as usual, the true lab was once again, darker than the vacuum of space.

"You're free to explore but-" A loud rumbling growl ripped through the silence. Was it the amalgamates?

"Uh. Was that the amalgamates?"

"I… I think so?"

"What do you mean, 'you think so?'" You sighed.

"I don't necessarily think that that was them…"

"So that wasn't the amalgamates?"

"Never have I heard the amalgamates make a sound like THAT. Stay close and prepare the snacks."

"Aye aye, captain!" You brought your tail around to reach the crate. Your tail could support a lot of things easily so you just carried it in your tail. Easy access with barely any effort. You ripped out a glamburger from inside its plastic case and heated it. The meaty aroma filled the lab, spare bits of glitter popping like miniature fireworks. A louder growl rumbled from not too far away. Perhaps they were hungry?

"Hold on. We need to go back. Something's not right." Gaster rasped. He made to grab your arm, but with the distance between the two of you, his hand caught on the air. Before you could reply back to him, a black goo began to emerge from the the pitch black arch of the hallway. It moaned and gurgled with a distorted cry of agony, a gray slime pouring out of a strange orifice underneath it.

A mass of the goo suddenly shot out, creating a limb of something to keep it off the ground. It was thickly hooved at the bottom, with strange curled horns and multiple claws poking out from the depths. The thing's shape kept morphing, the body dripping and reshaping itself to create something entirely different.

You took a step back and slowly drew out the glamburger. Gaster backed up with you as he too, took out a nice cream. Perhaps it was just drawn by your food? The creature let out an ear-piercing shriek and threw itself at you. Nope.

You dropped the wooden crate of food and narrowly dodged the attack, your claws slipping on the polished tile. The creature knocked away the food crate, intentionally ignoring Gaster and focusing on you. You could feel something locking its eyes on you, a low hiss making the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Another creature came from the hallway.

It was a sight not to be fond of. It had multiple pieces of flesh missing from its torso and you could see that some of the flesh had maggots in it. Electric blue feathers were crumpled and rotting on its body, leaving a trail of the things behind it. You could see two massive gouges on the sides of its head, muscle and bone clearly visible through the open wound. Thick trails of blackish blood dripped slowly on the floor, the quality being similar to molasses. It had a huge piece of something missing from its face, thus the whole mouth and the inside of the nose was visible to see: teeth, mouth, and everything else. There were no eyes, only dark, bloody sockets. It's feet were clawed on the edges, visible parasitic limbs showing on the outside. You could see that something was pulsing slowly on its back, a faint plethora of veins pulsing slowly. It twitched constantly, a low and hellish growl rising from the base of its throat. Now just what was going on in here? You could hear Gaster audibly gagging in the corner. He obviously couldn't handle the gore or the smell of the second creature.

"Gaster, you need to go! They want me!"

"But-" Gaster stumbled across the food crate, the second monster quickly advancing but you cut it off with a lone fireball.

"You ass! Just go already! I got it!" The two creatures were quickly advancing on you instead, both giving up on the succulent skeleton behind you. Gaster had remained where he was. The poor guy couldn't physically use magic to attack. He could only use it to keep his body together. Thus, you had to handle it.

The feathered creature had lunged for you, its gaping jaws barely catching on your throat. These guys were fast. The second creature had spit something at you, the stuff whizzing past you. You could hear a faint hiss as it landed, Gaster gasping as the mixture had began to melt the polished floor. You were tightly pinned between the two creatures with the excessive amounts of goo. A set of claws had raked your left side, the damage searing but not enough for you to collapse. You quickly rolled away from the two creatures, flicking your arm out to the side in a flash. Four minions had materialized next to you, two for each creature. You were about to fire another command before Gaster called out for you to stop.

"Those are the amalgamates! There's just something very, very wrong with them! Don't attack them!"

"Then what do you suggest I do then?" Another beam of acid had shot past you, the feathered creature predicting your next move. As you ducked to avoid the rotting one, the feathered one had lashed at with his hoof sending you slamming into the wall. Both had lunged at your immobile form on the wall, your minions heaving them back to protect you. You dropped to the ground and casted a wall between the beasts and Gaster. He needed to be protected too.

The feathered beast had made a loud screech before throwing itself at one of your minions, the fiery beast locking its teeth in the neck of the beast.

"Wait! NO!" The ooze of the beasts had put out the flames of your minions, the two steadily advancing on you. It would be no use to summon Delarose. She too would be killed by the thick ooze. Your only wall had gone up to defend Gaster. You kept the creatures at bay with a steady stream of dying minions, burning them when they decided to lash out. You knew that you couldn't claw at the beasts because you would sink right in. You also knew to never corner an angry beast but this was a different situation. You had to protect Gaster.

"We have to get past them and find the DT machine!" Gaster yelled as he tiptoed his way towards you. You sent a flurry of minions to form a wall, the majority of them collapsing under the weight of the ooze. Gaster had made it over to you.

"What if there's more waiting for us?" You screeched and ducked as a black paw had almost took off your ear.

"Then we'll have to power through!" Alrighty then. You expanded the radius of your fire magic, using it to envelop Gaster. Fifteen minions had materialized around him in a full circle, protecting him from every angle. You flared your fire magic, keeping the two other creatures at bay. They hissed and snarled at you, the feathered creature swiping a clawed hand at you. You ducked and scorched it with your magic, making sure that it pierced beyond the slimy surface. It gave a yelp and backed away into the corner. With more at your disposal, you ordered almost thirty minions to surround the creatures, Gaster making it over to you.

"Let's go!" The rest of your minions had surrounded the creatures as you and Gaster had made a getaway. You summoned four more of your minions to keep the two creatures at their post for just a little longer. The scarlet and azure light from your fire illuminated the tiled walls of the true lab with a sinister glow. It was just you, Gaster, and a never ending dark hallway. Suddenly, a new beast had lunged at Gaster from the depths.

"NO!" You created a fiery wall around Gaster and charged at the beast within a split second, the creature giving a thunderous roar as it smashed against it. You cried out as a pair of sharp teeth had clamped down on your shoulder. With a hiss, you summoned out more minions, your scowl deepening as the creatures from before had reappeared in the arch behind you. Your side burned with a hot pain but you crouched underneath the monster and slipped underneath it, raking your claws across its belly. The creature roared and turned around clumsily on its four legs. It was much bigger than the other two so it completely blocked the hallway. The other two roared in annoyance, a wall of flames making the slime bubble. You had grabbed Gaster and ran down the hall, the creatures shrieking with rage as the wall of fire had disappeared. You were just expecting a jumpscare at any moment as you hauled Gaster through the lab. As the two of you sprinted across the room of beds, another monster had came lumbering out of the eastern room. You hurled a couple of fireballs at it, as to scare it off, but the beast shrugged it off and charged at the two of you.

"Run faster Gaster!" You running had opened up the wound in your side more, and the fact that you were slowly bleeding out was anything but good. Once again, you forged another wall of fire in the archway, the creature slamming into it before giving another thunderous roar and charging into the tiled wall. The punctured walls seemed to flash by, the two of you finding yourselves in the room with the skull in a couple of minutes.

"Guard the exits with the melted tiles! I'll check the cameras!" Gaster had ran into the room on the far right with his utmost speed, leaving you in the foyer to watch over the dark and treacherous hallway. It was fucking dark as shit out there, the creatures galloping down the hallway. You could hear the click of hooves and claws slamming on the floor, a low gurgle making the hairs on the back of your neck stand up

Suddenly, the plethora of creatures had launched themselves at you from the depths. You couldn't take this much force at a time. With a hiss of pain you summoned Delarose, her jagged fangs catching one of their necks between her teeth and slamming it into the others. A strange fluid had erupted from the connection point, oozing from the strange creature and onto the floor. It had a crimson color to it, the beast shaking it off and lunging at you. Delarose caught them easily and batted away the creature, the surface breaking out in boils and sizzling with bubbles.

The creature was… oh god. Oh dear god. An old memory suddenly flashed through your head. Two actually. This was the one reason you couldn't bear to give up your human soul. The one thing you couldn't bear to witness. A long time ago, when you had been exploring Hotland, you knew two guards who had beared witness to an act of monster cannibalism. Your uncles to be sure. You didn't know it at first but you found that out eventually. You remember them saying something about hiding the bodies. You never understood what they meant, but now you do. Sweet jesus. It wasn't monster bodies they were trying to hide. It was human bodies they were trying to hide. Why did it take you so long to figure that out? You could only imagine the pain these guys went through...

If you were to give up your human soul, you would have to expel all of your physical matter. If you had known just how fucked up it actually was, you would've taken it more seriously. Dear lord. You could just barely make out the remainders of the charred and deformed skin. Blood and other fluids dripped out onto the floor. From what you could make out, the remains of their intestines were hanging out, the majority inflamed and puffy from exposure to concentrated magic. The lungs were nothing, shrivelled up and rotting. There was no stomach or liver. That was gone. The other fluid along with the blood? The acid of the stomach along with a soup of the digested heart, kidneys, and the bladder was leaking out of the bottom. The bones of the former human were heavily broken down, the other bits puncturing other organs. The spine was a whole different story. The skull had been beaten in, the whole back side missing. Bits of their brain was exposed, the two hemispheres melted and leaking away into the body. It was a gory mess. The thick slime on the outside covered this. This was what happened when a human's SOUL was injected with a lethal amount of magic. Their body wouldn't be able to function properly and would attempt to expel all of their organs and body mass to use the magic. You could only imagine the pain of your body attempting to turn itself inside out. That human… no. That THING was barely surviving off of its left over magic in which it had no control over. These weren't amalgamates. These were humans that had been long gone. Mixed with the corpses and rotting remains of the almalgamates. The feathers on the first creature.. Those had been from Snowdrake's mom. The hooved creature had came from the remains of Aaron's relative. Every one of the creatures that were hissing at you had remainders of the attributes that the monster amalgamates had.

The other two creatures were probably other magical experiments that involved similar caliber. That explained the smell of rotting flesh in the elevator room and the reason why these creatures were so badly deformed. The amalgamates had a sturdy, gelatine-like flesh, while these things had no shape whatsoever. These were some of the adult humans that had a large concentration of SINESTRA in their souls. You could sense it, the mess of limbs and the atrocious sounds of garbled hisses being too much of a hell for any sentient being to bear.

The bloody creature in the room, could not move, slumping onto the ground in a pitiful mess. It left its fluids on the walls of the hallway. The other two appeared to have the same consistency, one of the creature's skulls slipping and clattering onto the floor. They began to crawl pitifully towards you, a bloody stump reaching for you. One of the creatures jaws had slipped off, their giant girth falling onto the polished floor with a thud. It began to ooze across the floor, the misshapen organs and fluids ceasing to reach you. You were trembling, Delarose eyeing you doubtfully from the side. You nodded to your minion, wanting to put the guy out of his misery and quickly. Delarose had latched onto the thing's head, where its frontal lobe used to be. With a quick movement, Delarose sank her fangs into the leftover brain of the monster. The heat from the minion began to quickly sink into the creature. You could hear its flesh sizzling. You started on the others, the fluids getting on your lab coats from their explosive scorched the bodies, turning them into ashes and backing away from the piles before Gaster got back. Too late.

"I knew it." Gaster had reappeared from the back room, a beaten videotape in his hands. His normally polished lab coat was saturated with a plethora of other fluids, his expression grim and disbelieving.

"Gaster! Are you hurt?" You ran to inspect him, finding nothing except the various fluids that coated his cloak. You gave a sigh of relief, keeping your amber eyes on the unmoving corpses of the decrepit humans.

"Those are not things that should've lived. Those things that are lurking out there are something entirely different. Somebody had tampered with the evidence in another room. And I know exactly who did it." Gaster moved past you, towards the machine you used when you resurrected him.

"It was that child from a long time ago. They were the ones who tampered with the evidence and laid down false information." Your mind immediately went to Chara, the same kid who had kept you company in your dreams. It wasn't them. There was no way that they would do something like this. A flash of something green and yellow caught the corner of your eyes. The translucent ghost of Chara was standing over the bodies of the monsters, a horrified look in their eyes. They slowly looked towards you, backing slowly away from the bodies.

"A-are you sure? It could've been the g-guards, or anybody else who has been i-in here." You stuttered. Chara came to float beside you, a dead and humorless look in their eyes. There was no way that it was them.

"I'm sure. I just wish that I knew what this substance is." Gaster was continuosly fiddling with something over on the cart.

"H-humans."

"What?"

"Those things over there are the remains of humans that were injected with too much magic power. They were mixed with the genetic sequences of the almalgamates. Look at them and you'll see." Gaster turned around to face you, his expression dead serious. You faced him with the same expression, your paws anxiously shuffling in fear.

"How would you know that?"

"When a human is exposed to too much magic, their bodies switch over to the new power source immediately. You can't have a foot in both species unless you have the SOULs for it. They had to spit up all their physical matter to adjust to the new magic inside them. Their bodies have been mutated and overpowered by the magic. But it's dark magic. Not your typical everyday magic. The kind that only comes from excessive LV." You rasped.

"Do we kill them then? It would be wise to rid this place of them so that we wouldn't stumble upon them the next time that we are here." Gaster turned back to the cart, his eyes dark and agitated.

"I suppose we'll have to. They can't think for themselves anymore. And the fact that they're probably in a lot of pain just adds to the inevitable." You glanced back towards the bodies along with Chara, horrified to find that a mutated face of sorts peered back of you. You hastily turned away, your fire magic flaring back up again.

"Do what you must." You and Gaster made your way back through the lab, turning on the emergency generator at the front of the building. While he got to his mystery work with his tape, you headed through the entire laboratory to kill any other mutated almalgamates. It was too late for any of them. Your minions were standing over the two leftover bodies of the creatures. The various creatures having bits of flesh floating in them, the strange gray liquid pooling near their melting limbs. You burned the multitude of the bodies, the smell of rotten flesh, fresh in the air. You didn't think that today would include this type of demanding work but it did. You didn't notice the hot tears streaming down your cheeks as you headed back to the main lounge. Chara floated alongside you, their form disappearing the closer you got to Gaster. Perhaps they were warning you in your dream. You wished that they would spit a cheeky remark at your tears, but they hadn't said a whisper when they completely vanished.

When you had gotten back to the lobby, Gaster had already finished up and was waiting for you. He'd already started up the shortcut back to the lab, the rip in space making you divert your eyes.

"Quite the day, eh Gaster?" You rasped as you went to stand beside him.

"No. You were crying, weren't you. I wouldn't put it past your high LV not to portray your true emotions." Gaster whispered as he took a hold of your arm. His grip was very tight, the pressure in your forearm increasing by the second.

"What's that got to do with it?" Without a word more, Gaster had pulled you through the shortcut, the heavy cold chilling you down to your bones. With a gasp, the two of you had arrived back in the lab in Waterfall. The two of you were drenched in strange fluids, you having the majority of the wetness. Gaster stumbled towards his desk and slammed the tape on top of it. His nerves, along with yours had been shot.

"You can head out early. It has been the most frightening day, and you might want to get back to your folks." Your folks?

"Are you sure-"

"Just go. The same time tomorrow. Don't forget this time!" He gave you a coy smirk, his eyes betraying his weariness and exasperation. Heh.

"If you say so. I'll see you tomorrow, G." You croaked. You stashed your lab coat in your inventory and headed out the door, the familiar corridor coming into view. If you didn't go to see Toriel, she'd throw a fit and would send Papyrus and Undyne after you. Oh well.

As you made your way to Toriel's house, you stopped by the boardwalk on the way. The teal waves that slapped across the dock had gotten on your paws. Lily pads bobbed gracefully on the waves, the tranquil drip of water like wind chimes. The teal rays illuminated the dried tears that sat on your cheeks, the amalgamates pressuring that nothing in life was peaceful. Even as you watched the waves dance, you recognized that a storm played beneath the surface. Freedom was only a rock's throw away, and yet the need of the tasks would be similar to a leap of faith with a necklace of splintered rope. The noise of the monsters flitting around you faded out and left you with a melancholy tone that played like a waltz inside your head. That was… something. The small things that you took for granted.

Hmm? A small clawed hand had gently poked your arm, a spare set of beige talons tugging at your flimsy shirt. You turned your head slowly to look, absentmindedly wiping away the tears that had yet to stop falling down your cheeks. It was Alphys. She appeared to be fidgeting harshly, her magnified eyes avoiding yours.

"U-um. Toriel had sent me to find you but I wasn't s-sure where to find you! A-anyways, I need you t-to come with me!" You nodded solemnly and followed Alphys, your tail trying to keep itself up but failing as it lagged behind you. Goat mom had sent out an escort to bring you home safely. Apparently, you had a curfew. Wow goat mom. That's a new one. Alphys had assured you that she was just worried, and that her motherly instincts had kicked in.

On the way there, Alphys had began to tell you about her newest anime. While you didn't have an opinion on anime, you still listened to her rants, because ignoring her would be rude. She asked you about your tears but you pushed it away and told her that you had gotten salt water in your eyes. Before you knew it, you had safely arrived at the small cottage. The smell of lilac and peppermint wafted out of the windows, and along with it, the fake scent of rainbow trout.

The two of you clambered inside the house, Alphys shutting the door behind you and walking over to Undyne. Not surprisingly, everybody was in here. Again. It was a good thing that you had wiped away your tears on your way here, but your eyes were sore and puffy. You strided over to your chair, tiredly plopping into it.

"Are you alright over there? Your eyes look weird!" Undyne had grumbled. Alphys opened her mouth to speak but closed it just as fast. You knew that Undyne was still angry from your flight earlier. You supposed that she had a reason for being angry, but with everything that you just witnessed, you really didn't need her anger right now.

"I'm fine Undyne. I just got some salt water in my eyes by the boardwalk-"

"B-but you were crying before you e-even noticed me." You glanced at Alphys before shrugging it away.

"It's nothing to worry about. Like I said. Salt water. What's going on? You all look excited about something." You rasped out. Those stains in your lab coat were going to sink in if you sat here any longer. Undyne had to rouse your attention, the fish lady becoming more and more angrier and worried.

"Well, we wanted to wait until you were here, but you're here now, so we're going to say it. It's time to go to the barrier!" Hmm? Everybody looked ecstatic, and you knew why. If that was true, then…

"Oh. I see. Well then, you guys have fun with that. Meanwhile, I'll be somewhere else. Thanks for telling me, though." You rose from your chair, Toriel questioning you again.

"Oh? You're not coming with us dear?" Toriel had a disbelieving look on her face, the others following shortly shortly. You shrugged and looked anywhere but her eyes. Even Asriel looked disappointed.

"Why would I need to go with you? I have no purpose up there, as I've told you before."

"Well, we were just inviting you to come along and witness the freedom of monsters, but I guess if you're too busy, then we'll send you a postcard from the surface." Undyne grumbled in hot anger. You shrugged it off, as you do with many things that you shouldn't. You didn't really want to go back up there so soon. Maybe someday, but you just wanted to be free of the racism and the harsh judgements for a little longer.

"I AM busy. I have to work. You guys can go on without me. Enjoy the surface because I'm not going back there, no way, no how." You steadily made your way to the door, hissing in annoyance as Papyrus had called out.

"WHY NOT?"

"Too many bad memories. But hey. Don't let me stop you on your way to freedom. You've all worked hard for it so I hope you enjoy what awaits you up there. Who knows? Perhaps i'll stop being such a hermit and come visit sometime." You rasped. Your paws had closed around the steel doorknob, the handle being very cold.

"Really punk? You're just gonna sit down here in the dark, by yourself?"

"I mean it. You guys enjoy your adventure. I'll be busy doing other stuff. But I'm holding you to that postcard thing, Undyne." Your paw had turned the handle, but yet again, somebody had called you back.

"Wait." Toriel spoke. There was slight murmuring before the group had started to quiet down. You could feel the heavy tension in the air, and along with it came with familiar pang of saddening loneliness that you often put away from didn't have to stay here with Toriel or go with them to the barrier, but that icy glare that she was shooting you from across the room was keeping you firmly fixated by the door. When everyone had silenced themselves, including the children, she kept her eyes on you.

"Are you gonna keep staring, or…?" You rasped outwards, you turning on your heels. The others, who were staring silently at you, all shared the expression of Toriel's next words.

"Are you avoiding us, my child?"

"No."

"Do you not wish to be around us?"

"No, Toriel. I just don't want to go back to the surface. It'll take a while to readjust but still. And, I have work to do. I can't just put off work like that. I'm not avoiding you, nor do I have a reason to. You guys enjoy your freedom. I'll go up there, sooner or later. Just... not now." There was a long pause of silence before she got up.

"Well. I hope you do come to visit. Goodnight, my child." Without a single glance back, you padded out the door and into the cold breeze of Waterfall. Somebody had called back for you but you continued on, back home to Snowdin.

* * *

You tossed and turned in your bed, the silk comforters too warm for you. In a fit of rage, you threw them off of you and sat up. You ran your clammy paws over your face and stared into the darkness in the corner of your room. Chara hadn't interrupted your dreams like last time, leaving your grimdark dreams to yourself. You had suffered through another bout of bloodshed, the agonized screams of the murdered monsters ringing in your ears. You threw your legs off the bed and stood up, your legs shaky from sleep. You threw on a dark blue hoodie with a ring of fuzz on the hood and a pair of thick sweatpants and stepped outside.

The icy fronts of winds whipped through your fur and the snow sank up to your haunches. Small shuffles from far away caught your attention. It was sometime after dusk and you often slept much too early. From your hunched position by the front door, you could just barely see the solidifying silhouettes of Sans and Papyrus approaching you from the brunt of the storm. You waved cheerfully ( fakely) at the two brothers, in which Papyrus waved back, hoisting his brother over his shoulder and sprinting down the slope.


	31. Juniper, Tansy, and Depressants

A Dream Is A Dream Is A Dream

"Kid, come on."

"No!"

"I gotta go to work."

"No!" Small pale hands grasped onto the slack of your lab coat clumsily, labored huffs of breath keeping you posted in the snow.

"Toriel would keel over is she knew that you were here." You grumbled as you picked the kid up by the scruff of his shirt. Sue giggled and tried to grasp your neck fur.

"Oh no you don't. I'm taking you back home." With a shrug you hoisted the kid over your shoulders and proceeded over the snowy banks. Today was another day, and with it came the promise of more snow and the soon-to-be demise of your friends. You sighed in exasperation as Sue had gotten a hold of your tail again. Suddenly, your phone, the one in which Alphys gave you, rumbled against your haunches.

"Don't answer that-" Sue wailed but was cut off. You plunged your paw deep in your coat pocket and flipped open your phone. Toriel was calling. You placed the top near your ears, nestling it closer to your neck as you used both paws to keep Sue on your shoulder.

"Lion? Are you there?"

"No, this is Snowdin's whore house. You got the dough, we got the hoe. This is Eight Ball (s) speaking." You chuckled as you heard a snort rumbled from the end of the receiver.

"That's not very funny." Toriel growled.

"It is to me, my dear goat macabra. What's new with you? I currently have the offspring of a homo sapien plastered to my back and it appears to be in need of a pacifier." Sue playfully thumped on your back.

"Oh, so that's where he is! Can you bring him back here please?"

"Sure. Just let me mount this righteous summit, and then I'll get back to you."

"Righteous summit?" Toriel inquired. You let a sneaky grin play on your muzzle.

"Oh yes! Sue and I are currently scaling the great walls of Waterfall. I think he broke his ankle-"

"WHAT?!"

"Calm down, mothership. Sue's fine. I caught him trying to follow me on my way to work. He got in through the Snowdin tunnels, so I can only assume that one of the skelebros is behind this. Trust me when I assume that it was Sans."

"Why would you think that, my dear?"

"Reason number one: he's pranking me across space and time. Reason number two: persuasion. Reason number three: dank memes. And finally, reason number four: both are equally terrible at disguising their scents. He smells like ketchup, and I don't know if you tend to let Sue guzzle ketchup, but if you do, the sugar content of that stuff isn't healthy." Sue stiffened on your back, in which you laughed and let him down.

"Oh! Speaking of Sans my child, he wanted me to tell you something before you got to Gaster's." Sue laced his clammy finger in your paws and cheerfully pulled you along.

"What is it? I hope you guys aren't planning to sacrifice me to Satan because me and him got a blood pact. He won't be too happy to lose a faithful customer."

"Who's Satan, my child?" You stifled your laughter and replied back to her.

"Nobody important. As long as it's not something sacrificial, then we're all good here. What was it that Sans wanted you to tell me?"

"Yes… Sans and Alphys will be taking up their work with you and Gaster. It is to check on the barrier and see if the terms still exist. I take it that you and Gaster are already going to check for Asgore, are you not?"

"Yeah we are. He wants me to go through and see if the pressure and the sensitivity still exist. It certainly won't be pleasant."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Remember my old job working with the adolescents and the adults of the latter race?"

"Yes…?"

"Well, let's just say that the feeling of passing through is as unpleasant as jamming a toothpick under your nails and fiercely kicking it against a table leg." You heard Toriel groan from the other side of the cell phone. Sue gazed questioningly at you with his pale cerulean eyes but you ruffled his blonde hair and returned to your conversation.

"That doesn't sound like much fun."

"It isn't. Rest assured, the kid and I are almost to the boundary of Waterfall. I'll be hustling him through the tunnels of Snowdin soon enough."

"Oh that? The sentries have retreated back to the capital for the preparation of the release of monsters. Gaster will be waiting for you there, too. Meet the other three in the king's room. I doubt that you know where that is, so Asgore will accompany you there once you have made it past the CORE. Understood?"

"Yes mother unit. I'll drop the kid off by your house, okay?"

"Yes dear."

"Alrighty then. See you soon, madre!"

"You and your nicknames! See you soon, dear!" With that, you ended the call, the sledding slopes of Snowdin fading away as you and Sue had made it to the tunnel.

"Ladies first." Sue rasped. You smirked and shoved him into the narrow tunnel first.

"Isn't it, children first. THEN the ladies and gentlemen? You're up skipper." Sue had wriggled his way into the opening, waiting for you to join him. You easily squeezed into the tunnel, so lazy to seal it. With a puff, you ignited your paws in scarlet flames, Sue grasping the edges of your coat and following your lead.

It didn't take long for the two of you to make it back into Snowdin. You could easily scent the smell of salt and a strange hint of tansy and catmint that seemed to dance within your mind. Sue had motioned for your attention.

"You gotta hurry up, Lion! I wouldn't want you to be late! Go on! I'll go straight back to Toriel's!" You narrowed your eyes at him and crossed your arms.

"Promise?"

"Promise!" Sue cheered. Without another sound, Sue disappeared into the echo flowers. You gave a sigh and began to run wildly through the corridors. It was the early morning, so nobody would be around. You randomly skid around a corner, your paws thrumming against the ground with energy. You passed a bunch of sites in your gallop, a bright flash of cyan blue catching your attention.

"woah nelly." Sans jeered at you from afar. You came to a stop, your front paws suddenly collapsing underneath you. You tripped and skidded a few feet across the grassy floor. You could hear Sans staggering to help you as you came close to sliding off of a drenched bank.

"here." Sans extended a pair of phalanges towards you, in which you took at first, only to yank him towards the ground. Sans looked surprised at first, the whoopee cushion in his hand narrowly avoided. As Sans fell on his hands, the cushion went off, signaling your cue to get pushed yourself off of the ground, Sans chuckling with mirth on the floor.

"Who's laughing now, skeleton? You thought that I would fall for your lame trick again, huh?" You jeered as Sans had picked himself off of the ground. Sans staggered to his feet, a shit-eating grin plastered onto his skull.

"i *choke* didn't know that you could run that fast. *wheeze* on four legs especially."

"I only run on all of my legs when nobody is watching. You ruined my running streak, you big meanie!" You playfully cuffed Sans over the head, the whoopee cushion in his hand falling limply to the ground.

"Anywho, I- wow. Toriel wasn't lying." As Sans kept laughing his nonexistent lungs out, you took a minute to scan his wardrobe. He wore a long-sleeved white turtleneck and a pair of ironed khakis and polished dress shoes. Over all of it, he wore a sleek and well-fitting white lab coat with a pair of thin-framed glasses taped to the sides of his head. A name tag that read "Hello, I am Sans " stood evenly lined above the coat's breast pocket. Much neater than yours, which had been washed, but due to your constant tomfoolery, the edges were quickly gathering dust and the pockets held many wonderful doo hickeys.

"heh. i thought that maybe we could cut back time by me just taking you on a shortcut. back to the capital, i mean. asgore's still waiting for us. whaddya say kid?" Sans extended his phalanges to you in a gesture that could only be defined as mischievous. You took his hand in your overly-warm paws and grinned.

"Sure, but when we get there, tell his humblest majesty that I'll be making a detour in the capital." Sans frowned but then quickly wiped it away.

"what for?"

"What do you think? Everybody is going to be evacuating tomorrow, and it just so happens that my favorite pub will be too. I gotta stock up before he leaves. Get it? Leaves?" You teased.

"i don't get it."

"Catmint leaves, Sans. So does Cheeky's. Cheeky and his hefty supply of catmint will be leaving the underground tomorrow. Catmint is very hard to come by on the surface. I'm gonna go and buy out Cheeky's whole supply of catmint while he still has some."

"kid-"

"Don't even Sans. I'm a grown adult and catmint helps fight the pneumonia that I could get from living in Snowdin. It's a useful depressant and nothing you say can veto my decision." Sans shrugged and suddenly tugged you towards him in an embrace. You could feel his breath ruffle your ear fur.

"Real smooth Romeo. Now let's go before I break in an aggressive display of the waltz." Without further ado, Sans had safely teleported the two of you to the capital. The tension within the grand city was as thick as ever and from here, you could spot the ginger-tiled roof of your favorite pub. Ever since you reconciled with the group, you've gone to the pub almost five times a week. You were practically a regular there now.

"i suppose that you'll want to go straight to that pub of yours, right?" You shrugged.

"I could go now and meet up with you guys later, OR I could go and finish my work now and get it later. Doesn't matter as long as i get my catnip. And now that I think about it….. Meh! Let us scuttle, you and I, to the barricade of an old magic seal that is soon to abscond and shatter from our rejoicing magic!" Sans looked thoroughly confused, but you grabbed the sleeve of his lab coat and tugged. The two of you began to walk through the muddled crowd of citizens, you continuing your spiel throughout the way. Sans listened attentively.

"And when the sting of dawn's rays turns like clockwork to the sounds of the newfound tide, you and I will part in such, that memories will come and go, and words will stumble and fall like lukewarm water in the arms of a star."

"kid, what the hell are you talking about?"

" And when all has been said and done, the gentle murmur of the leaving will cease to sound, and with it comes the shallow depths of darkness that will follow the victorious." By now, you were just making up random bullshit. " Let two walk in content silence and the kindle of the fire glow before calming, just as a rainbow after a storm. Let mother nature sing you a lullaby of peace and opportunity as father time lets life go on and the song of the sirens ceases to lull those unworthy into a state of stalemate."

"stop that."

"Nary a mind is left to wander and tidings will be left dangling, a slimmer of driftwood to a swimmer concealed in a steal disguise. Thou understands, do you not?"

"no. please explain everything that you just said." You gave a heavy sigh, and gazed at Sans from the edge of your glasses.

"Let's go to the barrier and make sure that it works so that you guys can go free and I can live down here in peace. Yadda yadda yadda, blah blah blah, the timeline will stop fucking up and possibly humans won't be such idiots anymore, and so forth."

"gotcha."

"Thought so. Oh look! There's Alphys and Gaster!" You rushed forward to tackle Gaster, who looked very flustered, but straightened himself out after you had let go. You would've tackled Alphys too, but you would've knocked her off of her feet.

"Hiya! You two sure look snazzy! But not as snazzy as Mr. Skeleton here!" You chuckled. Sans shot a playful glare in your direction, in which you grinned.

"Remember what I told you Sansy, old boy 'cause I gotta jet! Where there's catnip, there is surely a schizophrenic possy of felines waiting to indulge in it's fragrant lullabies! Later!" You skipped over to the side of the marketplace and disappeared within the writhing flay of busy outgoers.

"U-uh. Did she take some catnip this morning?"

"I don't think so."

"tori said nothing about this."

* * *

You scurried quickly down the narrow interiors of the capital, your tail streaming out from behind you. Nobody came down these alleys except for thieves and gang members. You just happened to be excluded. You leaped over an obstruction of old boxes, a pack of rats squealing in shock. You stopped and stared at the box hungrily, as you hadn't eaten since forever. You ignored the rats, seeing as how you wouldn't stoop to eating something so tasteless and stringy. Now mice, you could eat.

You trampled over abandoned newspapers and old thrown-out belongings, your claws finding purchase on a railing that led to the main street. Without further ado, you leaped over the railing and headed across the main street. You had taken your own 'shortcut' to the darkest of plazas, your favorite little pub sitting in the dark corner. You padded quickly across the plaza, the fellows of the square ogling your lab coat.

"Oi! Watch where you're goin', ya filthy little dirt scraper!" A gruff and rasping voice jeered as the loud sounds of strong scuffling sounded within the bar. You could smell the delicious an d yet antagonizing scents of catmint wafting through the door. With a heavenly sigh, you stepped into the bare and skimmed across the rough wood floors. It was always very dim and dreary in here, but the place felt strangely homely to you.

"Hey! Look 'oo decided to show up!"

"Miss priss is 'ere!"

"'Hows it goin' toots?" An old cat monster had rasped. You turned and winked in his direction.

"It's going pretty swell, Rellie! Just thought I'd stop by and check up on you guys!" The bar patrons laughed as you stooped to sit down on a tall bar chair.

"That's as much as a lie as we'll letcha get past us, doll. Heh heh heh! Come back for the catnip, or am I goin' blind in 'ere?" Rellie rasped on.

"You caught me, but it's good to see that the bar is still going on strong."

"Too strong, I'd say. Ya' sure that you'll be okay be your lonesome down 'ere doll?" Ah. It was only gruff. His badly scarred sandy coat was visible from the entry of the bar.

"I'm absolutely sure smarmy."

"But ya' gots' that fancy schmancy coat on, so 'yer not gonna be 'ere fer long, are ya?" Rellie rasped.

"Nah guys. I came to see as to whether I could buy a bit of the boss's stock before he leaves. That stuff is hard to come by."

" 'Ere ere! Too true, that is! All of us in 'ere, we's be enjoying our last tankards. Might take a while on the surface for us monsters to drum up stores and whatnot. What say you come and visit? Won't be the same if our miss priss goes away!" A heavy cheer sounded throughout the bar, and you sank into your chair with ease.

"Sure. Why not? After all, what would you all do without me. And another thing! If you're gonna call me sassy then say it to my face, Ripper. I can hear you." You growled at a sleek and skinny patron. His pale green eyes were roaming your chest quite ravenously, and you decided that you wouldn't stop for a drink.

"Ol' Ripper's probably jus' wishin you's goodbye, doll! Oi Cheeky! Guess 'oo decided to show up, eh?" A small and portly ginger cat monster had waddled out from behind the counter, a pinstripe suit adorning his body.

"Looking good, Cheeky! What's the suit for, might I ask?" You inquired. The bar had exploded in catcalls and jeers. Cheeky leaned against the bar next to you, much to Ripper's displeasure. Cheeky pulled a clipboard out of his pocket.

"The miss and I are goin' stakin' today. Might be's a lucky lad if I get goin'. Wotcher, miss priss."

"I was hoping that I might persuade you to sell me some of your stock."

"My my my! What a temptin' offer lass, but does ya' got the gold fer' it?" Cheeky set his clipboard down on the table, instead pulling out a flap of paper. You reached into your hoodie pocket and pulled out a thick clasped purse full of gold. The coinage jingled as you set it upon the heavily glossed counter.

"Depends. Do you have the catnip?" You sneered. Cheeky chuckled and took a hold of your wrist. You let yourself be pulled behind the counter, Ripper snarling in the back.

"Whatcha want from the stock, lassie? Take your pick. Each bundle is worth a fort gold. Just make sure to leave some for me!" Cheeky handed you a huge paper bag, in which you filled with a variety of different catnips. Once you were done, Cheeky handed you a brander. You glued the top of the bag shut, Cheeky taking the plenty pieces of gold. He counted the gold dreamily as you settled the bag in your inventory.

" 'Cuse me lass, but ya' paid me well over the limit. Your total was 590 pieces." With a squeak, you pushed the gold back to Cheeky and grinned at the small ginger monster.

"Nah Cheeky. Think of it as a going-away gift! It'll pay twice for a tankard. Everybody gets two! Except for me because I have to get back to work." Cheeky shot you a saucy wink.

"Slackin' on the job, eh miss priss?" The patrons cheered at your generous proposal.

"Heheheh! Nah! You know that I don't flow that way, you saucy tart! Seriously, though! I gotta go before G gets on my case again! Later guys! Have fun on the surface of something!" With a tiny peck on the cheek, you waved goodbye to the patrons and headed out the door.

"See ya' around, miss priss." Rellie rasped behind you.

* * *

"Do you think she's coming?" Gaster grumbled. Sans could only stay posted by the entrance as Alphys and Gaster checked the vitals of the barrier. Asgore sat slouched in his golden throne, a mystifying and humorous look in his red eyes.

"Perhaps she had drunk too much catnip. In any case-"

"I'm here! I'm here! Sorry I'm late. The others wouldn't get their paws off of me!" You ran in clumsily, your hair all kinds of disheveled and your paws throwing up dust.

"It's about time!" Gaster shrieked as you screeched to a halt in front of the golden flowers. You stopped to lean against the arch of the throne room.

"Are you alright there Hazel?" Asgore asked. You nodded wearily and begun to tiptoe delicately across the bed of flowers. You gasped as your paws had snagged in the stems of the flowers, face-planting (and skidding) into the flowers. Sans could hardly stifle his laughter.

"Shut up."

"too much nip kit?" Sans wheezed out. You got to your paws and shook off all of the petals.

"For your information Sansicle, I didn't eat of drop of catmint."

"Then why were you wasting so much time in there for?" Gaster hissed as he checked the ground in the other room. Asgore stumbled off of his throne to go and join Gaster. You, Sans, and Alphys went to join them.

"I got soo much catnip, you have no idea. I'll have enough to last until Frisk retires. All for the measly cost of 783 gold. I bought 590 gold pieces worth of catnip. The rest was to treat my fellow patrons with her last few tankards of catnip. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes. Now stop boondoggling and get your ass in here! The day is almost over!" You scrambled over to the barrier, your whiskers twitching in anticipation.

"You know what you must do, yes?" Gaster grumbled.

"Yes, master." You laughed as you heard Gaster spit in shock.

"What the-" You wasted no further time in quite literally throwing yourself through the barrier. You could feel the particular strain on your physical mass, your ears folding in upon themselves as the painful bout of world transferring started.

Now I could waste more words on describing every detail of step of stepping across the barrier, but I'll cut it short so that you don't have to strain your eyes. Huzzah! The sensation is similar to 'spaghettification' except that there is no singularity, and that your atoms are being pulled towards the other side of the barrier. Similar to being the rope in tug-of-war and your tuggers are very well endowed in the muscular portion. Too well endowed. Rest assured, you, dear reader, make it out fine and very much glad that your atoms are still your own.

You gasped and choked as you made it own of limbo, your skin itching and burning with pain. You felt a fresh breeze blow through your fur, the smell of fresh rain and pine scented from about a few yards away. You staggered forward, the pale light in the tunnel dazzling you as you emerged from the tunnel.

Warm rays of sunlight heated your brown fur and gentle gales of cold wind blew through your fur. Your lab coat tugged and swayed in the wind, and once more, the heavy ache of homesickness tugged at your heartstrings. What more could a wild-born ask for than the gentle kisses of mother nature's miracles and the promise of a fine hunt? Nothing, that's what.

You let your glistening amber eyes soften as the promise of more rain, a blanket of dark clouds glowing towards you from the now rising sunrise. The sky glowed several breathtaking shades of violet and rose, the two merging together to meet at the candy red horizon of the sun. It's domain, in which you hadn't felt in several moons time, had seemed to shock your skin and at the same time, chill it.

You breathed out, and with it came a hot bloud of breath that disappeared into the sky. Beneath you were various colors of gold and scarlet leaves, bustling and twirling in the wind to create the impression of autumn's wreathe. You let yourself be mesmerized by the shimmering leaves as the familiar smell of juniper and yew made its way towards you. Ah yes. The tantalizing smells of home could bring one to their knees in guilt and nostalgia, but now was mostly the latter. A purring of sorts broke out as you closed your eyes against the rising sun. How wonderful it felt to be home again.

A sudden rumbling in your pocket had broken you out of your melancholic and tranquil stupor. It was Gaster. As funny as it was, it seemed like the video chat feature did not work outside of monster wi-fi.

"Did you make it out safely?"

"Yeah…. I did… Your point?" You could hear Alphys and Asgore squabbling in the background.

"Did you feel the same as last time? The pull, I mean."

"Yeah… time to go back in?" You hear Gaster grunt in agreement. As you clicked the phone shut, you took a moment more to revel in the beauty of mother nature, and you noticed that the sun had been blocked by the snowy white clouds of the morning. Nesting robins cawed gracefully from their nests, and with it came your warning of your loyalty. You pivoted on your paws and padded wordlessly back into the Underground…

* * *

You stumbled back into the illuminated room, the others stobbing her shenanigans as your clutched wearily at your chest. It seemed to hurt more than last time, your ribs feeling heavy and crushed from the intense pressure. You stumbled before righting yourself, your focus shifting and swimming with effort.

"you okay there kit?" Sans had taken up his place at your side, his two arms steadying your form. You ushered for him to let you sink to the ground, your chest heaving with an effort to take in the stale air around you. You gave a thumbs up as an answer, the oxygen rushing into your chest.

"Then it's settled! The barrier is ready to be broken!" You rasped out a 'that's what she said' before slumping over onto the ground. Asgore and Alphys were both settling something, Gaster having taken off. You could do nothing but lay there, your chest heaving with an effort to breath. Sans had taken a hold of your paw in his right hand, and with a heavy sigh, he had teleported the two of you to… where had he taken you?

You had landed heavily on a couch, the jingle of loose change evident in your landing.

"Sans…. Where are we?"

"relax. papyrus told me that he wanted to have a long chat with you before we all left tomorrow. he should be upstairs. i'll go and get him." Without another word, Sans went upstairs, leaving you to lay dizzily on the couch. Your tail was draped haphazardly over the edge, your ears and whiskers brushing up against the edges. You blinked lazily and didn't even bat an eyelash as Papyrus traipsed down the stairs. He looked a little downcast. Sans had retreated back to his room, the door left wide open. Strange.

"FRIEND! IT'S IS VERY GOOD THAT YOU CAME TO SEE ME!"

"Well… more like I was brought here… heh. Sans said that you wanted to talk to me?" You feebly rasped outwards. Papyrus had gently picked you up and sat you down the right way on the couch.

"YES. I WAS WONDERING AS TO WHETHER I COULD MAKE ARRANGEMENTS."

"Arrangements? For what?"

"ONCE WE LEAVE TOMORROW, YOU WILL BE ALL BY YOUR LONESOME DOWN HERE. THAT IS CERTAINLY NOT HEALTHY, AND YOU ARE LUCKY THAT I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM HERE TO MAKE FRIENDLY VISIT ARRANGEMENTS SO THAT YOU DO NOT GET TOO LONELY!"

" So you want to know when would be the best times to visit?"

"YES! WOULD YOU MIND COMING TO VISIT US ON THE SURFACE? I WOULDN'T MIND COMING DOWN HERE TO COME AND VISIT YOU IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT!"

"Nah. It's okay. I know how much you guys wanna go to the surface, so I won't make you come back here once you guys are free. I might take time off to come and visit you guys on the surface if you want."

"THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC! BUT… I HAVE TO ASK AT LEAST ONCE, SO HERE GOES… WON'T YOU PLEASE CONSIDER COMING WITH US TO THE SURFACE?"

"No. Now that there's nothing waiting for me up there, there's quite literally no point. I'll stay down here where it's safe and human-free."

OH FOOEY! I WAS HOPING THAT I COULD PERSUADE YOU WITH MY MIGHTY PERSUASION SKILLS!"

"They're not working Paps. Maybe after a few years after the monsters have settled, but not in this time. I want to wait it out before deciding. I know that none of you guys like it very much, but I don't like humans very much, and you know how it is."

"YES I KNOW. PERHAPS WHEN YOU COME UP, I COULD SHOW YOU AROUND THE SURFACE. BUT WAIT! YOU WERE BORN UP THERE, WEREN'T YOU? YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN EVERYTHING! OH NO!"

"Yeah Paps. I've seen everything up there. Knock yourselves out up there, cause the surface is absolutely teeming with possibilities. Forget about me and live your life. I'll be living my own down here."

" I REFUSE TO FORGET ABOUT YOU DEAR FRIEND! HOW COULD YOU SAY SUCH A THING?"

"Paps. I didn't mean it literally."

"OH. THEN PERHAPS, WHILE WE STILL HAVE TIME LEFT…. I COULD SHOW YOU JUST HOW MUCH MY COOKING HAS PERFECTED!" Papyrus suddenly sat up and dashed into the kitchen with aplomb. Sans leered at you from the banister, a cheeky expression on his face.

'Oh no.'


	32. Something To Die For

Everything Gold And Then Some

Even though the others were quite disappointed at Lion's decision to stay in the Underground, they had ventured out anyway with slightly heavy hearts. They had given the flighty old cat monster a last gift of love (real love not LV) as a token of remembrance. For some odd reason, the kid seemed to be busy at the moment with something, so they left the package at her door.

For a good couple of hours, the barrier to Snowdin and the Ruins was taken down. Old citizens took the fleeting opportunity to visit their old homes and collect any missing heirlooms. Of course, most came to look at the magnanimous spaghetti statue that sat in front of the skelebros old house. It seemed that the cat monster had built more statues in their missing time, as the whole town had become a museum of sorts. The skeleton brothers had found a small trap door in the side lengths of the sledding slopes.

Some monsters traveled all the way to the Ruins to pay their respects to the monsters who would never see the sun. Toriel went back to her old house to collect a diary that she had forgotten, and the children came to see. There were some things that were not there, such as a foreboding passageway that led deep into the heart of the Ruins. Oliver had went through and discovered that it held a giant pit of sorts. They recognized it immediately as the same pit that Lion had described on her travels.

Throughout the series of events that led to the Underground reopening its forbidden zones, the group of wayward friends had discovered multiple secret passageways that fit the stories of their flighty friend. Were they perhaps safe, or were there secrets unforetold on the other side? Of course, from Lion's descriptions, none were too bold or brash to see if their theories were true.

It had taken multiple hours of laborious preparing, packing, and making sure that everything was it order. Monsters sat wearily on the steps of their homes in the artificial rays of the early mornings. Kids stopped their incessant play and gazed hopefully at the ceiling of the cavern, as if their wishes had been answered. Those in Hotland casted away their disbelief and bitterness into the fiery depths below. Civilians of the capital feasted broadly, as if savoring their culture for the days to come. Homes were being steadily unpacked, and even now, a steady trail of monsters had began their descent towards the barrier.

Everybody knew that the cost of freedom was nary a sacrificial and hellish price to pay. They knew what would happen when they arrived at the barrier and how long it would take for the great shield to dispel. King Asgore had taken the longest to accept the possible future events and what would happen beyond the barrier. On the surface. He had not forgotten about his young friend's warning and depressing omen, but because of that small cat monster, he began to doubt his thoughts. Would they fare alright with the humans? Would they be okay, and would bloodshed and dusting cease to occur? It had been the hardest on the poor fellow, him having to accept that his end was near even if he didn't like it. After all, he was to be the monster sacrifice to the barrier. Toriel would take up his position like the two of them had agreed, albeit tears and tea. But still… The same thoughts would plague to soon-to-be-queen. Would the monsters get harassed on the surface? Would humans be accepting of their cultural and physical differences?

Toriel was one of the blind fellows in the room, excited and rambling about the surface and what it would be like after all these years trapped Underground. She had pushed the grimdark thoughts to the back of her head, her current occupation being busy shooting terrible puns with Sans. Papyrus screeched in the background.

Everybody was as blind as a person with no eyes, ignorant to the true situation at hand. What they saw was just a ruse, a candy-coated blindfold over their eyes, and for some without eyes, a gag in their ears. What they would see would be the start of something entirely new. A whole new world, if you will, and a rebellion that was soon to spark. Of course, only the oldest of monsters foretold this story. Gerson and Gaster both shared predictions, their minds still weary from war.

Undyne and Papyrus had thrown away their sweet Royal Guard gear, deciding that they would never need it ever again. With a humbled toss, the two monsters tossed their dust-coated armor into the lakes of Hotland and headed back to Waterfall. After what the two had seen in the last four years, they never wanted to strike violence ever again. Not after the bodies. Never again.

Sans and Alphys had stashed the plans for the drill inside their belongings, not throwing it away in case the plan for the barrier would backfire. They had hung up their lab coats for the last time, and with one last weary look, they had closed the door to the old lab for the last time.

The children were absolutely giddy to go back home, Frisk vouching to stay with Toriel for the rest of their life, but of course, that's not how things would turn out. Oliver was much too independent, much like Lion, and he would spend his life living on his own rules. That is, until an orphanage would start to hunt him down. Sue had places to be, much to his dismay, but he swore to visit the group every other day. Franny and Trevor had to go back home to their parents who were waiting for them dutifully. (Did I ever mention that Franny, Trevor, and Marilyn came from parents who believe in monster lore?) Marilyn had to go back home too, but promised to keep in touch once they were freed. Claira was sobbing tears of frustration to leave the group, saying that she would miss them all dearly. Everybody had places to be and families to get back to. For most people, maybe.

Some monsters in the underground had chosen to stay, shaming the other gullible monsters who thought that the humans would change their bloody ways. But that was a slim margin of the population.

After an hour of debating and waiting, the group of old friends finally joined the party, venturing with the mass trail towards the barrier, in search of freedom and change. For most, it was blissful and full of hopes and newfound dreams. Everybody was smiling. Even Sans, who no longer had a fake grin plastered to his skull. It was sincere and honest. The venture through Waterfall had rallied many monsters, most cheering in anticipation. Hotland had gathered the rest of the crowd, the departing monsters all eager to leave behind their oppressive culture.

Now, the only place left to go was through the capital and past the barrier towards the surface. Freedom at last…..?

You had went back to your old ways, living in your fixed house despite Toriel's grimdark warnings. It had been two days since the whole Asriel shebang. Speaking of which, where was that goat boy and his ghostly sidekick? You had seen Chara just the other day, as they had been chilling in your kitchen with some chocolate. Ghosts were weird and that was a fact that you had made up.

The group was sad to see you stay behind but had accepted your decision and you were sure that they would be fine. Either that or humans would negate their hopes and start an all-out war once more. Humans were incompetent of true compassion and monsters were no better with hope. You would accompany them with only your mind as you wished them farewell from the tunnels of Snowdin.

You saw them off earlier this morning. Heck, you even cried a little, as Frisk had teased you about it. But you still weren't going back to that hellish place. The humans would do what they normally did when they got scared. The monsters would see that in due time, once their gullibility and their biased judgement cleared up. But then again, you could be wrong and they could be slightly friendly to the monsters. Only time would tell.

Gaster had secretly expected you to go with the group, him being one of the few to leave the Underground much later. But you weren't going with them, as Gaster did not know. He could be leaving at any moment, but you wanted to surprise him with a parting gift. It was a picture of you two laughing at a bad movie. You had gotten a few kernels of popcorn in his slanted eye socket. Much to your amusement, the kernels had gotten stuck in there and you dubbed him as ' butterfingers' for the entire week. He would be leaving with the monsters later, much to your dismay. The guy could live a grand life on the surface IF the humans were nice. He was smart and was a natural genius. He'd find his way up there with flying colors. And you'd be alone again, but that was okay.

You had gracefully crossed the threshold of Snowdin slowly, taking the time to gaze at your new surroundings. It had been very low of you, but you had agreed for the group's sake because they wouldn't stop needling you. For every section of Snowdin, the group had put down street lamps, the source of power being geothermal heat. For once, you didn't have to fear the ever-present darkness that loomed beyond your windows.

Before they had left, Sans and Alphys had rewired the street lamps to the CORE, providing a limited power source. You still liked it though. It wasn't so dark in here, and the shadows didn't bother you like before. You walked underneath the light of a lamp, the amber glow reflecting off of your snow white hoodie. You lifted up your sweater sleeve and gazed fondly at it, the fur rim of the hoodie keeping your neck fur extraordinarily toasty. There were some writings scribbled in various colored marker all over the sweatshirt. Undyne's was by far the biggest.

"Don't forget about us! Make sure to come and visit! ~ Undyne" It read on the front of the sweater in huge lime green marker.

"We'll come to visit you! I hope you enjoy the Underground! ~ Alphys" Was shyly put down on the left sleeve.

"DO MAKE SURE TO COME VISIT US SOON, DEAR FRIEND! ~ PAPYRUS" Was competitively scribbled all around Undyne's writing in candy red marker.

"Don't forget that we care about you. Please, come and visit with us. ~ Toriel" Was written over your heart in a rich purple color.

"Somebody's got to water the flowers. You'll see me around. ~ Asgore" He had put this saying on the right sleeve of your sweater.

"Stay determined! ~ Frisk" The kid quite literally put this bright red saying down by the crotch area of the sweater, seeing as how the article dipped past your thighs.

"take care of yourself because somebody really cares about you, kit. ~ sans" The small skeleton had written on the top of your hoodie in bright cyan marker.

"Keep being yourself! ~ Oliver" It was messily scribbled in dark orange marker on your left shoulder.

"It's no fun to be alone! Come and visit! ~ Franny & Trevor" The two had scribbled on the back of your sweater in dark blue and lemon yellow marker. It had little hearts around it.

"It was nice to see you again, best friend. ~ Sue" The kid had teased you by writing this section in braille, his words written in sky blue marker.

"Make sure to take care of yourself! ~ Claira" The kid had written her words on the back of the sweater in emerald green marker.

" We'll keep you up to date! ~ Marilyn" This one had put her saying down on your right shoulder in pale purple maker.

Each corner of your hoodie was covered in small inspirational messages from your friends and some had little doodles of cutesy bullshit. There were even some messages from people you didn't know. One was from a person called "Muffet". There was one from Grillby, Monster Kid, Barbara, Gerson, Bob, Napstablook, Red, Blue, Nice Cream, the Snowdin shopkeepers, a guy called Burgerpants, and even Asriel and Chara had added on a message. Chara's was written on the inside, right over the heart. Your favorite part of the sweater was a special little doodle on the inside of the sleeves. Let's just say that it was too lewd to describe, and that you would have to clock a certain android over the head next time that you saw them. But what really got you was the message in the middle.

"Friend-Shaped" Was written in inky black text over the sweater pocket. After all, your friends had surprised you with this as they had left for the barrier. The thing went down to your knees, and the inside was lined with thick, white fur except for a few patches. It was oh so cozy and smelled of the multiple scented markers: spaghetti, sushi, ketchup, metal, ozone, cinnamon, butterscotch, ramen, brownies, chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, seaweed, lemons, citrus, pie, and something that faintly smelled like wasabi and sriracha. You buried your muzzle deep into the fur of the hoodie. This was your favorite sweater and you would wear it forever for years to come.

The marker wouldn't wash out as it was stitched into the hoodie with a special kind of magic to keep it from fading away. Heh. You looked up at the cavern ceiling in the midst of your stupor. It kept snowing, the snowflakes gently landing in your hair and in your ear fur. The tunnel into Waterfall was in your reach. Turning your head to look back at the lights of YOUR Snowdin, you climbed into the tunnel and into Waterfall, leaving the gateway wide open. Nobody was going to be around to stop you, anyway.

Waterfall was much quieter than normal. The monsters who had left had decorated their house in a christmas fashion, and fairy lights had been taped to the abandoned houses in wild abandon. The colorful lights had been reflected on the cavern walls, creating a pretty aurora for the remaining monsters to see. It was very beautiful and chilling at the same time, as you couldn't hold back a smile at the sight.

Nonetheless, you had to go say goodbye to Gaster. Maybe he could stitch in his own message as well. You sighed, a hot cloud of your breath rising into the cold atmosphere of Waterfall. As you walked, you could hear the quiet sounds of the water crashing against the poles of the boardwalk, and the drips of the water falling back into the fray. It was very, very peaceful. You hoped that wherever the group had moved to on the surface, that they would be happy, and that the world wouldn't do them any harm.

The oh so familiar corridor had came back into sight, the snowy white door coming into view. You pushed on the handle, the white door slowly swinging open.

"Hey Gaster."

"What are you doing here?" Gaster had been sitting back in his chair, his legs propped up on the polished counters. He had been reading something off of a piece of paper before you came in. The moment you came in, a sinister look had appeared on his skull. He looked incredibly disturbed.

"I came in to say goodbye. I just thought-"

"You should be with the others. Not here."

"Jeez! Fine! I just came to say goodbye before you left but I see now that you don't care, so I'll be going back home now!"

"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO GO WITH THE OTHERS!" Gaster never shouted at you, unless you fucked up big time. He had gotten out of his chair, now heading towards you.

"What do you mean? I'm staying in the Underground, remember?"

"NO! THE- YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO GO AND PROTECT THE OTHERS! FUCK!"

"Why would I need to protect the others? They're perfectly fine!" You hitched your paws in your pocket, Gaster glaring down at you.

"NO THEY ARE NOT! DIDN'T YOU GET THE MEMO?!"

"A-apparently not?" He was starting to scare you. The others were perfectly safe, right? There was no need for you to worry, right? He stopped coming towards you, furrowing his bone brows and giving a deep sigh. You started to cower a little.

"The others are in deep trouble. You need to go. If you don't, this whole timeline will be all for naught. They're going to kill them if you don't get there in time."

"Who's going to kill them? Ch-"

"Don't you dare say their name in a place like this. We've been getting in the way of their planning for the longest time. You staying behind has probably made their mission a whole lot easier. The human child you know as Claira has been dead on the inside for a very long time. The demon inside her had possessed her merely to keep their identity secret and hidden. Claira's SOUL has been kept to break the barrier. If the child manages to stay in disguise until the barrier is broken, then they'll cause havoc up on the surface. And once they get what they want out of this timeline, they'll reset over and over and over again. You have to go. You have to protect your friends."

"But how-" That was a bunch of bullshit. The Chara you knew was sassy and lovable, albeit obsessed with chocolate. Not like you were one to judge, but still. Was this what Asriel had mentioned back in the Ruins? If so, then who was right? Chara or…. Or Frisk…. Which was which? Dammit!

"Protect your friends from their fate. You'll know what to do once you get there." Gaster had pushed you out of the lab hastily, slamming the white door behind you. It vanished as soon as the lock had clicked into place. You summoned one of your minions, the lion appearing in the corridor. Its bright light had illuminated the somewhat dim hallway. With a sideways leap, you saddled yourself onto the beast and mounted its shoulders. You grabbed its fiery mane, nudging its belly with your paw to take off. The dark walls of Waterfall whizzed past, the steady thrum of its paws on the hard ground soothing and incessant. You rode with your minion, feeling heavy jets of adrenaline and anger flooding your system. It was Frisk. That bastard. There was no way that you would take sides, but it was one of the others and if Chara was really planning to do something like that, then they wouldn't have confided in you.

You had made short work of your surroundings, easily covering ground with your minion. You could supply your magic with your emotions after all. With a swift leap, your minion had leaped onto the wall, running along its length until it came to Hotland. You skipped the bullshit, your minion leaping onto the multiple platforms and clawing itself up the elevator shafts. The hotel soon came into sight. There was nobody inside. You busted through the place, going around the fountain and into the elevator. It was out of order. You didn't give a fuck. You melted the metal door and your minion jammed the two of you inside. It clawed itself up the inside shaft of the elevator, arriving at the only other set of doors at the top. You melted those too. You skipped the gray corridor, glancing at the various buildings out in the distance as you galloped past them. It didn't take long for you to find yourself in a golden yellow hall. You could hear something in the next room over…

(Say. Do any of you remember bad Chara? You know, the one who DID possess Claira? That's a still a thing that exists because Frisk fucked with the timelines. So there's not one but two Chara's. Brace yourself.)

The children's SOULS had been projected from their body, each glowing a strong hue of their own individual trait color. Asgore's SOUL had his left his body too. Much to everyone's horror, those whose souls were needed for the barrier, seven human souls and a monster soul, were going to die in this chamber. Despite their futile attempts, their SOULS had permanently left their bodies, floating in a perfect ring around the edge of the chamber. They were charging up a small force of their own, a large charge needed to break the barrier. It would take some time.

The problem was, only six children stood. The seventh, Claira, was just barely alive. They were bleeding out onto the floor, a stab wound cutting across their torso. It had just barely missed the important blood vessels inside and from it, a mass of blood slowly oozed out. A small child stood over them, a long and sharp knife in her tight grasp. Long red hair hung from their shoulders, a murderous look plastered onto their ghostly pale skin. Chara was barely keeping the kid alive, using their body as a hostage for means of protection. The monsters had been thoroughly helpless to do anything, not wanting to hurt the small dying child, but wanting to go free already. Asgore and the other six children were already in a lot of pain, the life energy from their SOULs slowly being drained. It was at a sinister stalemate.

"Hahahahahah! I can't wait to be rid of you all until the next timeline! This time, I'll be sure to erase all of your memories forever!"

"You sick demon! Why can't you just leave us alone?!" Toriel had been on the brink of tears, a group of fireballs at the ready, but never to be casted. Chara held a knife to Claira's neck, a millimeter from slicing into the soft flesh. If Toriel or the others attempted to hurt Chara in any way, in went the knife, shattering the kindness soul, and preventing them from going free.

"Because it's fun to play god! Haven't you ever wondered what it would be like? To have infinite power at your fingertips?"

"No, you sick fuck!" Undyne had summoned a wreath of spears, just waiting for a small distraction to open up.

"Language, language! Any more foul words and I'll inch this knife closer to your nearby death." They were out of options. It had always come to this. Whenever a true ending was reached, Chara would show up to take them back to the very beginning. And once again, even with a different ending, another hope for freedom at last had been shattered before their very eyes.

(Prepare yourselves for time intervention)

"I wouldn't try that if I were you." A small voice had piped up from the throne room.

"I agree." Two figures had stepped out quickly from that shadows of the chamber. Both Asriel and Chara had stepped out, Chara wielding a long knife in their hands. Their pale skin was unusually pale and yet their eyes held a small spark of compassion that the demon's on the other side did not. Asriel stood behind them, a few lines of black fur slowly creeping up the sides of his cheeks. His eyes had turned into hellish black sockets with tiny pinpricks of light dimly illuminating the insides. Frisk looked onwards in horror and confusion. Two Chara's?

"Ditto." The next speaker had a low and intimidating growl to it, their voice echoing around the cavern in hostility. The speaker was nowhere to be seen. The group had quickly turned their heads, trying to find the speaker.

"My my my. It seems as though we have a diversion. See what your time shenanigans have brought on. We have a traitor-" Asriel had appearified a giant sword in his paws, his teeth bared towards the demon across from him. "- a doppelganger-" Chara had gripped the edge of their knife harshly in one hand, their crimson eyes glinting with hatred. "- and what appears to be the apprentice of death." With a loud snarl, Lion had stepped out from the shadows. The room got hotter with every step that they took into the room. Lion came to stand on Asriel's right.

"What a pathetic bunch of rogues. What are you going to do?" Chara had taken this fleeting moment to grip your paw with their left hand and whisper to you.

"Here's what gonna happen. Summon a shield between that demon and Claira. Asriel and I will create a diversion while you cauterize the wound on Claira's chest. Join us afterwards and let the others protect the body." You nodded and with a snarl, you stealthily flicked your right paw. A thick wall of white fire separated the demon from the child.

"NOW!" The monsters, thick with rage had joined in with Asriel and Chara as they chased the demon away from the body. You dodged a flying knife and landed next to Claira, hurriedly using on one of your claws to cauterize the giant slicing wound across her chest. She cried out in pain, you shushing her with the thick of your paw.

"You really think that's going to work?!" A giant explosion had sounded from overhead, a blinding display of lights lighting up the cavern. The smell of dust had arisen in the air.

"Undyne! Papyrus! Protect the body!" Undyne and Papyrus had taken themselves out of the battle, the two taking the children and retreating as far away from the demon as possible. You turned tail and leaped into the fray, tripping over a few spills of dust in the process. Nobody had died, but many were becoming injured. Asriel and Chara were both battling the demon in their midst, the other monsters giving them the strength to keep fighting.

"Ack!" The hellish demon had made away with a hefty cut on Chara's forearm, Chara remaining on their legs. You lunged at the demon, your fangs hooking in their knee. With a screech, you ripped through their knee and tossed them back over to Asriel. He summoned out a Chaos Buster, and you, a heavy swathe of minions, Delarosa included. Chara had reappeared next to you.

"There's no way that just killing them will do! We have to kill Claira to kill them too!"

"What?! But you told me to save them!" You screeched as your tinier minions had instead charged at the demon.

"I wanted you to make their last moments less painful! They're going to die soon, and when they do, that demon's SOUL remnants will come out too! Destroy it, and take Claira and Asgore's place!" With a heavy nod, you doubled back away from the fray. You heard Toriel screech as Claira had went limp in her arms. Claira's emerald green SOUL had popped out, and with it, came Sans. He had joined the battle, and had overheard your tactics. Claira's SOUL, along with the demon's, had came soaring into your paws. Undyne and Papyrus, livid with injustice, leaped into battle, effectively taking your place.

You heard Chara screech as they noticed the whereabouts of their SOUL. You wasted no time in ordering Delarose to direct her power towards the two SOULs.

"NOOOO-" Delarose fired, you standing and grasping the SOULs, just to make sure that they couldn't go anywhere. The battle had stopped, and with it came the smell of blood and dust. You were bleeding heavily, the flesh of your left side scorched heavily. From what was left of your sight, Chara had shot you a glance of suffering and sadness, their form disappearing into the dust.

"Lion?! You-" You beckoned out your two SOULS, the two splitting apart almost immediately. While you couldn't save Claira, you could do something that could equal her sacrifice. Something that would be worth throwing away your final lives away for. The SOUL of Asgore had stopped charging up, your monster SOUL taking its place. One life to die for him. Your other soul, the human SOUL, had finally showed its true colors. It was a dark emerald green with faint traces of lime green swirling within the depths. You had the attribute of KINDNESS, the perfect substitute for Claira. The last life to die for her. You would do this one thing to help them. It would finally give meaning to your life.

Your human SOUL had taken up its place beside the six other human souls, circling with your monster SOUL to fill in the gaps. The process began again, starting where it stopped.

"What are you doing?! You can't-" Toriel had put a paw on your shoulder, tears falling freely from her ruby red eyes. The others were rushing towards you in a blind panic. Undyne had heavy gashes down her torso but she looked very much alive. Papyrus had many scratches along his battle body, but he looked fine. Sans looked very much out of place. The rest of the monsters were looking toward the carnage, their hopes looking very much lost.

"It's the least I can do. The monsters deserve freedom, and the monsters need their king. I can spare the rest of my lives. After all, what do I have left to live for my friends?" You rasped as you collapsed onto the floor.

"WAIT!" The souls began to circle around the end of the cavern, the dim rays of twilight shining through the barrier. The end of your journey had finally come. With a final shudder, you let the remaining life from your body leave, the other children doing the same. The last thing you felt was the feeling of every atom in your body being ripped apart and a fragile hug encasing you. The power had pooled into a vast ball of light, expanding and covering the whole cave in its light until… The light in the cavern had ceased, the bodies of the sacrificed gone. The barrier had shattered, and with it, the monsters were free to roam the surface, forever.

The End...


	33. Wotcher Sansyyyy?

Dandy Sansy's Alternate Ending

With a fleeting notion of their last breath, they easily collapsed to the ground, the pain from the lack of life quick and yet, stabbing, as though they had been impaled with a scorching dagger. Life ceased to flare before their eyes, a single motherly screech being the last thing that they had heard. And yet, it was the sound fitting of the death that they truly deserved. They solemnly accepted that the reaper waited for their arrival, and with it came a friend that deserved none of their pains.

A lone figure crouched at the edge of the frost-bitten clearing, their crimson eyes burning with a fierce notion of hatred. Frisk could only silently apologize to the ghostly child, who promptly turned away their heads. Their reddish-brown hair draped over their shoulders in age, and with it, reminded Frisk of something inferior and sinister.

Frisk had a fleeting thought of a more wilder life, their so called friends living in a more hellish time. Chara angled their heads towards the thinking child, the scowl on their face searing.

"You've done enough Frisk. No more." The space between them was broken by Chara's telepathic thought, the boundaries of life nonexistent.

"Surely there was something that we could do." Frisk retorted back. Their mood was something resembling rancorous. Chara laughed.

"No. I always told you that your aimless misdemeanors would come back."

"I know that. But what if I could make it up?"

"You've terrorized and mentally scarred your friends with their fear of me! There's no way that they would be tolerant of another RESET."

"I agree. Some stories are twisted but this plot has some major issues." A husky voice spoke from the edge of the clearing. Two familiar friends had emerged from the depths of the dazzling white background. One was the apprentice and one was the embodiment of the reaper. He cast a grim and weary smile at the children, slowly fetching something from his cloak.

"Hurry up and kill us already, skeleton. I haven't got all day." Chara grumbled. The skeleton reaper scowled and beckoned forth a small orb of golden light which shone on the sleek phalanges of his hands. Frisk hesitantly spoke, her words hoarse and faltering.

"What is death like reaper? True death?" The embodiment of death showed a faint smile, the apprentice doubting her job. This one spoke in a monotonous voice, which echoed distinctly around the small clearing.

"Do you wish to consider it? You could take two paths, and yet surely, one would bring about a true ending. There could be many to consider, but there is one that could be suited-"

"They've taken more roads then we can repave apprentice-"

"Both have ignored death for centuries. Would it be a mistake to tempt death on an empty offer? One timeline or another, the bane of death will continue to exist. It is foolish to propose that it will cease."

"So you propose that we RESTART apprentice?" The skeleton scowled darkly at the short figure beside him, their hands digging numbly into the hem of his dark cloak. The apprentice didn't draw their gaze away, but merely blinked and smiled.

"Not restart, nor continue. Like those of deathly budding branches, we must cut off the excess and start anew."

"Back into the fray, it seems!" The skeleton could hardly keep down his thunderous hiss.

"No. Do we rewind the cycle of life? We do not. These young fodders both carry wisdom and mistakes from centuries of broken roads. Let them pay for their acts and build a new road."

"Are you suggesting more turmoil. I honestly can't understand your nature."

"Not needed. Let them revise that road and repave the potholes-"

"Wait a second." Chara had gotten to their feet and had approached the merciful apprentice. The apprentice eyed the old child for a spare second, their amber eyes clouding over with respite and turmoil. They've seen more than mercy. The skeleton beside them grasped the apprentice's arm with suspicion.

"If I'm reading this situation correctly, the skeleton wants us to accept death, but the apprentice wants us to go back and fix out fuck ups. Correct?"

"That's pretty subtle of you Chara. You're correct. But if he agrees, then you cannot pass without consequences." The skeleton beside them scowled darkly and released the apprentice's arm.

"I see no reason in arguing with you. Just remember that the next time that these two corpse fodders tread in my domain, I will reap their SOUL's." The apprentice gave a faint laugh and grasped the reaper's shoulders. Their laugh was one that held no burden of life or death. It held a endless amount of love and a strong sense of compassion.

"That, I agree with." The apprentice turned to the two children, Chara coming increasingly closer. The reaper eyed them with grim hostility, and yet there was an air of protection and guile that made them represent a certain friend.

"Listen closely you two. This is your last chance to redeem yourself, Frisk. Chara, depending on your own decision, you can choose to live or die. You have faced no amount of sins for us to deny you death. Do you live or die?" Chara looked the apprentice in the eye again, their wistful gaze heavy and scorching.

"Life. I want to see this through to the end."

"Given. You two will be sent back to the critical error of your last known timeline. Memories will not be forgotten, and past mistakes and lives are fully accounted for. Those who have suffered and have defied the will of death live. Keep in mind that I am willingly bending the rules for you two. Do not forget your place. You will assist the adventurer in their journey to the end and fully account for all of their demises. None shall be lost or it will be reaper's wrath. If you can abide and successfully not destroy my gift to you, your own happy ending shall be met. Those who have been lost will live and patience will be needed."

" I should mention that your last timeline was heavily marked for destruction. Time did not flow properly there and the aforementioned targets of success had come way too late. They will fall at a faster rate this time and so will your friends if you let them. The rules are still the same. The time limit of your journey shall last only a year. Not four. If you should make it out alive by the time limit, do not digress. Make sure to SAVE. You wouldn't want to deal with me and the old reaper, now would you?" The apprentice gave a small laugh and brought forward another orb of heavenly golden light. It spelled out the words RESTART.

"Restart?" Frisk uttered. They only knew RESET, SAVE, and CONTINUE. The reaper chose to explain this one, ordering his ball of light to dim.

"To use RESTART is not to uproot the whole timeline. It is merely restarting from a certain point on your journey. The apprentice has chosen to set you back to the day before the monster has fallen. Remember that memories will return but only some. They will not remember death and you should be careful about mentioning it. Don't. We're entrusting this special option to you once, and only once. Set your hands on this, and this will be the last time that you see us for a year. Do you agree to our terms?"

"Yes." Chara declared. A fiery smolder of red ambition burned in their crimson eyes. Frisk nodded bashfully and came to stand beside Chara. The two slowly put their hands on the sign, the apprentice banishing them for good.

"Take care or I'll rip your throats out, dear friends~"

* * *

Wisps of cold snow fell gently beside the two children, one being covered in the stuff.

"Frisk! Wake up! We're here!" A strong and calloused hand had wrenched Frisk from the snowy hills, the child rising hesitantly to their feet. Snowdin was back, and from the looks of it, they were standing near the unused plotland of Lion's house. It was still untamed.

"Frisk. You know what we have to do, right?" Frisk nodded, and without further ado, the two children sprinted in the snowy hill. The skeleton brother's house wasn't far and if those two reapers were correct, they would remember everything. Even their deaths.

The snow fell harder, and with it came the chill of the night. Warm lights fell upon iced windows, one particular set of doors open to embrace the cold.

"I COULD'VE SWORN THAT SOMETHING WAS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS PLACE! WASN'T THERE A STATUE OF SOME SORT THAT WAS BUILT FROM OUR MAILBOXES? SANS?... SANS! LISTEN TO ME! SOMETHING IS WRONG HERE!"

"i know paps. you thinkin' what i'm thinkin?" Frisk and Chara could hear the droning voice of Sans a few paces away. Filled with excitement and determination to set things right, Frisk crashed blindly through the trees and burst into the clearing in front of the skeleton brother's house.

"FRISK! I- CHARA?! SANS!" Sans had protectively thrown himself in front of his brother, his eyes dim with distrust and heavy confusion. Chara had lumbered wearily out of the forest and fell into the snow with a loud 'splorch'. They carefully drew up their heads and spoke in the most formal of manners.

"Hey skeletons. Wanna help us with our plan? It involves shenanigans and humans. More humans than you could ever ask for." And with that, Chara plopped right back down in the snow. From there, a long conversation started and familiar friends discussed a battle plan. It mostly went like this:

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Positive?"

"Yes."

"Super positive?"

"Yes."

This would continue to go on until the aforementioned morning would dictate their actions. Morning came, and with it, the hasty relocation to Toriel's house had taken place. An old set of friends had appeared from the shadows, their memories intact.

"heya G. asriel."

"Hi."

As predicted, the child from the surface was just in time. The group of friends sat in an alliance, their eyes (sockets) glued to the tiny hole in which light shown through. With a series of sparks and light, a figure was taking a heavy descent towards the bed of flowers. Toriel had caught the small child, their light figure limp and beaten. Heavy scars and blood showed through their sweater, and they looked very malnourished. With a flourish of motherly care, the group had proceeded to take in their old friend, Lion.

Chara and Frisk became more confident as three months had passed. Lion had remembered everything (excluding their deaths) and since they were an adolescent yet again, they took to avoiding the places of their deaths. Independence was a struggle to get over, as the monster child had once again taken up their ways of adventure and toil. One of the skeleton brothers had ALWAYS accompanied them on their travels, and with their newfound friendships came a deeper sense of feeling that was not there before.

Where there was once a constant facade of secrecy and hidden emotions, blossomed affection and dependency. Something that Toriel had hoped would come from her motherly gestures. The monster child had become much more friendlier than before, and with it, the losses of lives became nonexistent.

During the next five months, the six humans fell again, each with their memories. A reunited pair of best friends to welcome the months of autumn and the friendship that surpassed the hostilities was that of a daring hope. Despite the happiness, the monster child bayed for something that they could not mention. They sensed that there was something waiting for them up above, which made the mad yearning for the surface even stronger.

Three months had passed, and with it came the callings of duty. Once more, the kingdom of monsters had made their journey to the barrier, and with it came the true defiance of death.

What they thought to be a good thing had turned out to be revoked by the reapers. Those precious lives that the monster child had saved were used for a grimdark purpose, and although eight lives were sacrificed, they survived. The reapers had tricked the barrier into thinking that the previous timeline was being played. That seven humans and a monster were being utterly sacrificed for the greater good. The barrier had taken the eight lives of the monster child in full, leaving them with one last precious life. No lives were lost that day, and most went free. And beyond the barrier sat a whole new perception of life.

Monsters had hurriedly cleared the tunnel and were now rapidly descending towards the wildlife.

"Oh my…" Toriel murmured in wonder as she gazed at the rising sun on the horizon. Golden light reflected off of her ruby red eyes.

"Isn't it beautiful, everyone?" Asgore too, was entranced by the blazing ball of light on the far distance. His cloak billowed in the gentle breeze.

"Wow. It's even better than on TV. WAY better! Better than I ever imagined!" Alphys squealed. Her lab coat was wrapped tight against her as the breeze gently shook the collar.

"Frisk, you LIVE with this?!" It was not a yell, but a fierce question. Undyne was also entranced, as were the others. "The sunlight is so nice… and the air is so fresh! I really feel alive."

"HEY SANS… WHAT'S THAT GIANT BALL?"

"we call that "the sun", my friend."

"THAT'S THE SUN?! WOWIE! I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M FINALLY MEETING THE SUN!"

"I could stand here and watch this for hours…" Asgore murmured.

"Yes, it is beautiful, is it not? But we should really think about what comes next." Toriel spoke. Her paws were gently wrapped around her two children, who gazed distractedly at the sun. Chara gazed towards their left and noticed that Lion was also distracted by something. It was not the sun that caught their attention, but their fur stood on edge.

"Oh, right. Everyone… This is the beginning of a bright new future. An era of peace between humans and monsters. Frisk…" The humble monster king had turned his broad head towards the child. "I have something to ask of you. Will you act as our ambassador to the humans?" Frisk, having heard this same question nodded will solemn glee.

"YEAH! FRISK WILL BE THE BEST AMBASSADOR! AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE THE BEST MASCOT! I'LL GO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION!" Papyrus declared, and without further ado, he sprinted down the rocky slope towards the descending monsters.

"welp. someone's gotta keep him from getting into trouble. see you guys." For some reason, Sans had pivoted on his fuzzy slipper and had slouched back into the tunnel. Undyne glared at his back as he left, her confusion angry and confused.

"Man, do I have to do EVERYTHING? Papyrus, wait!" Undyne leaped off of the ledge and took off after her tall skeletal friend. By this point, Lion was slowly edging away from their friends. Their eyes were set on something in the shadows of the forest below, a dark figure watching them from the canopies. Everybody but Lion was oblivious to it.

"Hey, Undyne! Wait up!" Alphys had taken off after the fish-lady, leaving Toriel, Asgore, Chara, Frisk, and Lion there to gaze into the sunrise. Chara had noticed that Lion was steadily saddling off towards the forest, a nervous and fearful edge to their eyes. They said nothing, though, and let the monster child edge closer to the edge.

"Whoops." Asgore rasped as the steady silence between the five settled. Toriel glared steadily at the king with something of a sarcastic edge.

"Uh, should I do something?"

"..."

"Well, gotta go!" The king took off, his purple cape billowing out behind him as he ran down the slopes. Toriel turned to gaze sadly at his back, Frisk gripping the hem of her tunic. Chara had tuned in too, their calloused hands finding their way to the goat monster's sleeves.

"It seems that everyone is quite eager to set off." Toriel had then turned to the three children, her ruby red eyes catching on the spare monster child who was about to topple off the edge of the ledge. The canopies below trembled with an unknown pressure, and the monster child jumped fearfully.

"...!"

"My child! Where are you going?!" Lion had cleared the ledge with a huge leap, neatly landing in the trees below. The canopies trembled before silencing. Toriel gazed with confusion as two figures had fallen from the trees. One was too dark to make out while Lion's light brown fur shone clearly in the sun. The two appeared to be talking briefly before the dark figure had set off. Lion had turned to face the group, a wide a teary smile showing clearly. Without a word, they waved goodbye and ran after the dark figure, a spring in their step. Who was that? Lion seemed to be clearly overjoyed. Toriel turned back towards the two human children at her side.

"Frisk… Chara… You two came from this world, right…? So you must have a place to return to, do you not? What will you do now?" Frisk could not speak, as their emotions had been tested. The other six humans had gone back home, and these two could not bear to part from their dear monster custodian.

"We want to stay with you." Chara rasped.

"What? Frisk… Chara… You two really are funny children. If you had said that earlier, none of this would have happened. It is a good thing you two took so long to change your minds. Hee hee hee. Well… I suppose. If you really do not have any other place to go… I will do my best to take care of you, for as long as you need. All right? Now, come along." Toriel took a firm and loving grasp of the two children's hands, leading them down the slope towards the descending monsters at the foot of the mountain.

"Everyone is waiting for us!"

* * *

They supposed that the two reapers were both merciful, as even Frisk nor Chara could've hoped that the surface had turned out so well. For a while, the line between humans and monsters were quite rocky. The humans had sent the monsters to an abandoned stretch of territory where they could make their homes. Some countries were keen to adopt monsters as new civilians, while others had their rights to want the monsters to keep away.

After a few months of living on the surface, the foundation of the hollow mountain had collapsed and had destroyed parts of the Underground. As is true of most humans, some rebelled against the monsters and wished for them to go back home. It still exists to this day but not as serious as some might think. Monster monarchy settled in quite nicely in politics and it was agreed that monsters were rightfully granted to live in all regions of the Earth.

Some monster exclusive cities sprung up in unpopulated areas, and as was foretold of a small monster child, the brains of the monster kingdom and blended in quite well with the human geniuses to bring about a new world. Magic was feared by those with sinister habits, and small children came to respect the power of monsters, just as monsters had came to respect the stature of humans.

Monster slowly took their climb on the ladder of life, deciding to be content in the middle class. Old human friends such as Sue, Claira, and Oliver came to join Frisk and Chara in their life with the motherly goat, and much to their surprise, with the fatherly goat as well. Sans had became a physics teacher in England and Toriel taught the malnourished minds of children all across the world. Asgore ran a factory of monster clothing and became a botanist of many cultures. Undyne had joined the military and often took breaks to hang out with Papyrus, who was a beloved manager of a restaurant in Italy. Alphys and Gaster both worked dutifully at helping the human race improve. As for Frisk, Chara, and Asriel…? The three children stayed with Toriel and adjusted to life on the surface.

As for one small monster child…? Their deepest desire had been met with aplomb. While the group of friends had worried about the long time disappearance of Lion, they had reunited during a trip to the Appalachians to view Mount Everest. As it turns out, Lion had reunited with their parents on their first day out of the Underground. The quaint family of three traveled all around the world, and the monster child always sent memoirs to their friends across the seas. Their parents weren't all that bad either...

And from there, their next events count on you, dear reader. Do you wish to retell this happy ending or do you wish to take up another one to your heart's content? Oh, this story will go on forever, and I'm sure that you're itching to continue. So… here we go...

The End…?

RESET

SAVE

CONTINUE

RESTART

ERASE


	34. The Final Chapter

Memory

For those too weary of the heart, I digress my merciless nature and advise you to skip beyond the bolded lines somewhere near the middle. If not, read on for the sake of curiosity to fill your heart's questions of what would be if the point had been dulled. I digress and time is of the essence in this timeline.

Choose path one (before the line) to find out grimdark alternative timeline. Choose path two (after the line) to find out the true story, and nothing perfect can truly remain...

Nary a monster nor one of the humans could've imagined that the plan would have backfired again. The humans had been sacrificed for nothing and the monsters were with no without a king (who had gone insane) and the queen had lost a dear monster child that day, and their brittle bridges of hope had drifted away in the stale air. Multiple heirs had taken over, and with it came no success whatsoever.

What little months they had left for humans to arrive was very short, and thusly, a new plan was conceived in secret. A SOUL keeper, if you will. The queen's old will had been taken up by a lone bloodthirsty monster with an overpowering want for freedom. The old human SOULs were to be stolen during the night and, with it came a treacherous plan. The queen had been murdered in her sleep graciously, and the scientists could not find a single scratch on the poor heir's body. She was buried in the royal garden. The SOULs were stolen that very night, and with it came the utter destruction of the monster race.

The foundation that was keeping up the mountain had completely collapsed and many monsters were crushed to death. Power, water, and various other necessities were completely cut off and habitable zones were exactly that. Zoned off. Snowdin and the Ruins would forever be lost to history, and so would the rest of the mountain.

Within time, the citizens began to starve to death. As was foretold by a family lost to origins, monsters slowly turned into cannibals. Brother would eat brother and children were eaten at birth. Scavengers turned into soldiers, and scientists turned into powerful tyrants. Those who could not settle were forcefully subjected to torture and then death. The body was always eaten. The water in Waterfall had evaporated and the heat in Hotland had cooled. Light no longer hit the Underground, and its inhabitants slowly died out.

An old queen's body would be dug up and the victor would find nothing but dust. A king would be missing in action, terrorizing the humans up above with no hint of mercy. A colony of tems would be eaten as though they were the last meals on Earth.

Two skeleton brothers would die in the snow, their bones dented and gouged as if their attacker had fought mercilessly and had scourged their victims. The head of the royal guard would be betrayed, and stabbed quite literally in the back with their own spear. The royal scientists would become one with their own creations, an unmoving mass of dust and morbid wails. The monster king? With no mercy of truth, the humans would take the king down with amassed weapons from centuries of atomic mastery.

The entire monster race would be wiped out within eight months…

* * *

The True Ending...

It had been quite a tough time on the surface for the monsters, not good nor bad. It had lived up to their expectations whatever the cost.

After the ten children (including Chara and Asriel) had willingly sacrificed themselves to destroy the barrier, the rest of the group had been left to stumble into the bottom most dregs of freedom, the majority of their inspirations produced from the sadness and despair that their oppressive domain had brought. After a while of dealing with humans, they discovered that the surface wasn't exactly holding up to everything that they were hoping for.

The humans did not take kindly to them at first, pushing them away with all they had and causing mass panic for those fearful enough to believe that monsters were cold-hearted savages. Eventually, the kind human representatives had stepped forth to welcome the new arrivals, giving hope to those who had survived the horrors of the underground. Everybody had gradually adjusted to the monsters and their story. But everything was so quiet now that THEY were gone.

It was only them, after all. Toriel, Asgore, Undyne, Alphys, Papyrus, and Sans were the only survivors of the main group. Sue, Claira, Franny, Trevor, Marilyn, Frisk, Chara, Asriel, and Lion had all given up their souls to destroy the barrier once and for all. They had seen the brunt of it, watching as their friends of a long time had turned to nothing in the faint rays of twilight. That the only thing they left behind were their clothes. Only one piece of each.

Sue left behind his favorite baby blue jacket, Claira left behind her lavender frilled dress, Franny left behind her favorite yellow T-shirt and so did Trevor with his gray one, Marilyn left behind her gold and red sweater, Frisk had left behind Sans's borrowed jacket, but Lion… They had left behind the gift sweater that they had all pitches in to make. It still had the magic of the dead kid's souls stitched in. Lion left that behind, along with their whole house. The house that was full of memories.

They each stored the clothing in Lion's abandoned house, but one piece was worn by one person. Papyrus had been gaven Lion's hoodie, the thing going down to his hips. It fit him quite nicely, and in times of depression and fits of loneliness, he wrapped himself in the sweater and remembered the good times. It smelled of vanilla and citrus. Just like her house did...

After that had happened, they had all split apart. Toriel had taken residence near the cold Appalachian mountains, Asgore had stayed near Mt. Ebott, Undyne had moved near the western coast, Alphys had moved to Japan somewhere, Papyrus had moved to Italy, and Sans… well… nobody really knew where he went. It was… disturbing when the two brothers split apart. Sans didn't need to keep 'protecting' his brother now, and so the two split apart with bitter farewells and unsaid secrets.

Papyrus had been fine for the first couple of days until he had snapped. He needed the comfort of his smaller and older brother who was no longer there. To hear his terrible jokes again. To have him in the empty house to tell his night terrors to. To be comforted by his prescence. But try as they might, nobody could find him. It wasn't until a cold day in August, that they found him.

The group had decided to meet up, everybody flying back to Mt. Ebott for a day of catching up. Sans had been seen around the mountain by Asgore, who had told him about the get-together, so Sans came too. Apparently, he had been touring the world. Papyrus had shown up third, encasing his brother in a soul-shattering squeeze. The poor guy had cried a lot that day. Alphys had came in fourth, looking older and wiser with age. Undyne came in fifth, happy to reunite with Alphys and to pester Papyrus and Sans again. Toriel had came last, tears of joy flowing from seeing her old friends again. It had been three years since the barrier had been broken.

Each had their own jobs in their own respective places. Asgore was managing his own company, producing monster goods for the monsters on the surface and taking up botany as a hobby. Sans was teaching quantum physics at a university in London. Papyrus was the manager of a busy restaurant in Italy. Alphys was creating new technology with Japan's greatest minds. Undyne had joined the military, and had been on reserve for a couple days. Toriel was teaching monster history and mathematics at a school in New York. Everybody had their own life. Despite Papyrus's antics to get Sans to come home, Sans had a life of his own and that meant that he had to stay in London. But that was okay, because today they were going to do something together: visit the zoo! They had been planning this for the longest time.

"Is everybody ready to go?" Toriel murmured from her seat in the front.

"YES, YOUR MAJESTY!"

"Papyrus." Asgore grumbled.

"Oops! I meant, Toriel!"

"Can we hurry up and leave?" Undyne yelled.

"I suppose. Well then. Off we go." Asgore had started the car, accelerating off and down the road safely. They were going to a new zoo that the officials had put in Ebott City recently to attract tourists. Thankfully, there weren't that many people there, as Undyne hated busy places.

"Park the car! Park the car!" She screeched.

"Alright. Hold your seahorses!" Asgore sighed.

"*snort*!" Sans chuckled from the backseat.

"God dammit." Sans and Toriel were both laughing, giggling like mad men. Everybody else scowled at the unintentional pun.

"I meant, hold your horses, Undyne. We're already here." The zoo had come into view, it's surrounding golden walls gleaming with the light of the afternoon sun.

"Yes!" Undyne had leaped out of the now parked car, Papyrus following suit.

"Wait! We have to stick together!" Toriel had made sure everyone had stuck together, setting off into the zoo to peruse it's collection of fauna. The artic creatures were cunning, knowing exactly when to look at the passing viewers. Sans had pointed and laughed at the mountain goats.

"hey tori! i found your cousin!"

"Oh hush!" Asgore and the others merely sniggered as the mountain goat had started to vigorously chew grass. Undyne had gazed longingly at the aquariums, and Alphys had frowned at the lizards on display. Papyrus had taken joy in the chinchillas, but Sans had found the holy grail of the zoo. Something that struck a certain set of memories in his mind. Painful memories of an old friend.

"come look at this." At the center of the zoo lay a huge exhibit, one of the only ones that came from the continent of Africa. A large habitat for lions and other big cats. Everybody had stopped what they were doing to come look. Some had taken to curling up in giant piles, while others were grooming each other and pawing at the ground in boredom. It was when a single cub came to the front of the exhibit that Undyne had began to quietly say something. Everybody had remembered their old friend in return. The lone cub flopped down onto the ground, facing the group with a curious amber gaze. It twitched its ears and let out the smallest of mewls. They remembered Lion, the beasts in front of them being their own namesake. The cub had gotten to its paws, letting out another mewl before heading back to the its father. It seemed that the two older cats were calling for their child to return safely...


	35. RESTART

...thinking, thinking, thinking...?

Here it is. After a few years of changing, reflecting, and creating new pasts, presents, and futures, I've come upon a decision that very well may change AMFTS as it has been for the past... three years? How long has it been since I last ended this story? I can't remember.

I find myself reflecting on this work and of the other "polished" work that I did some time ago... and I don't quite like it as much as I used to. So a new project has come into mind. Something bigger. Something better. Something more realistic and functioning. The old Hazel has become something new as time has progressed. A more developed and interesting character to crack into.

Let me put it into better words. RESTART is the story that will pick up after the secret ending of AMFTS, where Hazel is sacrificed and the group lives.. only for Frisk and the group to decide that something in that timeline was out of place. Perhaps in this story, things will make a whole lot more sense, there won't have to be as much forced gore, and more developed character interactions can be created. Things that I missed in the prototypes.

Things will be easier, problems will be delved into, new chapters will be created not for filler but for side stories that tie into the main plot.

...What do you think?

I think I'm in over my head but I think it's about time I start writing, planning, and shaping RESTART. See you there in 2019.


End file.
